


Going Home

by Cyllia



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Small Town, Drama & Romance, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-20
Updated: 2018-07-17
Packaged: 2019-05-08 09:48:37
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 23,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14691645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cyllia/pseuds/Cyllia
Summary: Where Levi was from, there were only two options: stay in town and become another drunk, or leave and have the slightest chance to make something out of yourself. The moment Levi turned eighteen, he bought himself a bus ticket to the city and left with just one regret of breaking his promise to Eren. But now, twelve years later as a successful lawyer, Levi put everything behind him and started a new life. The last thing he wanted was to go back to the town he grew up in, but after getting a call about his uncle’s death, he reluctantly returned. Everything was just as he’d remembered, except now, the boy he once knew grew into a man he could hardly even recognize. With only three weeks in town, Levi couldn’t wait to go back to the city, but after seeing Eren again, that started to change.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I’m pretty sure I’ll continue this, but the chapters may come out slowly. Comment and/or kudo if you like, that may motivate me to write faster and post more. I hope you enjoy it.

Standing in the middle of the dirt road, a scowl set on Levi’s face as he watched the bus drive away from him with plumes of dirt picking up after it. With the only bus stop being a few miles away from town, he knew that he shouldn’t of been surprised when it suddenly stopped there. His fingers tightened around the handles of his suitcase as he turned around towards his destination. In the distance, he could see a few buildings standing tall over the horizon.

It looked to be about a thirty minute walk from where he was. A thirty minute walk in his pants and long sleeved shirt with the sun beating down on his back. Levi sighed as he took his phone out of his pocket and turned it on, but of course, there was no signal. He wasn’t even in town yet and everything was already starting to go to hell.

Taking a deep breath in, he shoved his phone back into his pocket and started down the road dragging his two suitcases behind him. As he walked, one thought constantly went through his mind.

_I should have never come back._

**—1 Week Earlier—**

“I’m sorry to be the one to say this to you, but your uncle has passed away. My condolences.” Levi sat up in his chair and stared down at the phone on his desk. 

“When?” He asked.

“Almost a week ago.”

Letting the news settle in, he remained silent. The last time he saw his uncle was twelve years ago and back then he looked healthy, but a lot could change in that amount of time. He sat there for awhile, but no emotions of sadness or grief hit him. It could’ve been delayed, but Levi didn’t dwell on it for long. He wasn’t that close with Kenny so he didn’t know how he should’ve felt about it. Usually when someone lost the last family member they had, they would cry or at least feel a hint of sorrow, but Levi felt nothing. 

“Okay, thank you for telling me,” he simply said. He reached forward about to hang up, but the person on the other end spoke again.

“The funeral is going to be August 27 held here in town. I hope that’s fine with you. Do you know when you can come?” Levi glanced to the papers he had on his desk and scanned over one of them. 

“I won’t be coming.” He hung up and focused his mind on paperwork. Mindlessly, he signed his name on some papers and read over details from his case again, but for some reason, he couldn’t concentrate like usual. He ignored it and threw himself into work until the sun set outside and the sky darkened. It wasn’t until he heard a knock at his door that he looked away from the file in front of him. 

“Come in.”

He leaned back in his chair and glanced at his watch as someone opened the door and walked in. _11:48,_ he thought. He didn’t realize how late it was. When he looked to the door, he saw Erwin standing there in front of his desk. 

“What’re you still doing here?” Levi asked.

“That’s what I should be asking you.”

“I’m working.”

“Yeah, usually not this late though.” Erwin sat down in one of the chairs in front of him and sat back in it. “Did something happen?”

“No.”

“You only work this late when you want to get your mind off something. So what is it?” Levi exhaled. He always hated how well Erwin could read people. It was useful during work, but outside of it, Levi found it annoying. 

“It’s nothing. My uncle just died. That’s all.”

“That’s not nothing.”

“To me it is. We weren’t close.” Levi could imagine how cold hearted he sounded, but he didn’t mind it because it was the truth. It was nothing to him. Kenny was an alcoholic who would only ever say anything to him if he needed more beer or someone to change the television channels.

“Are you going to the funeral at least?”

“No, I have work.”

“I’ll give you time off if you need it.”

“No, I don’t need it. I’m not going.” Erwin sighed and leaned forward in his seat at his response. 

“He’s your family, Levi.”

“That doesn’t mean I have to give a shit.” They stared at each other as a tense silence fell on the room, but then Erwin finally stood. 

“I think you should go, but it’s not my decision.” With that, he turned around and walked towards the door. “Don’t stay too late,” he said as he exited the room, leaving Levi by himself. Levi rubbed his temples as he looked down at the floor. His answer was still ‘no,’ but he thought about Erwin’s words. Like he said, Kenny was still family. What would he have to lose from going back anyway?

As he imagined the outcome of it, his answer started to become blurred. He could just go back for the funeral, stay for a couple weeks, and come back as if nothing had happened. It would barely affect him at all. Levi sighed and glanced out the window, deep in thought. 

“Damn it,” he muttered. He abruptly turned back around in his chair and reached for the phone. He dialed the number from earlier, but as he expected, no one answered and it went to voicemail. His hand tightened his grip on the receiver. 

“This is Levi. I’m calling to let you know I’ll be coming on the twentieth, a week from now.” When he finished his message, he set the phone back down and ran a hand through his hair. Almost instantaneously, he started to regret changing his answer, but in his opinion, it was already too late to cancel. Looking at his watch, he saw that it was now a few minutes past midnight. 

Instead of packing up, he got more files out and did all the work he could do. He even went as far as to re-alphabetize his files and clean his keyboard, because like Erwin had said before, he only worked when he wanted to get his mind off something. And now, the only thing he wanted to get off his mind was the fact that in a week, he would be heading back to his hometown, or how he liked to call it, the shit hole where he was raised.


	2. Chapter 2

By the time the sun had set, Levi finally made it to the outskirts of town. The first thing he saw were a few small and run down houses sitting abandoned near the road. It was just like he remembered, except now there was more trash and beer bottles littered on the ground. He continued down the main road that would take him to the heart of the town, going at a brisk pace. With his shirt clinging to his back from sweat, Levi had never wanted to shower and change clothes as badly in his life as he did now. He aimed to reach his lodging before dusk set in, but his hopes were dashed when the sky darkened substantially.

Looking forward, he could vaguely see the outline of a few buildings as he made his way to the center. The closer he got, the more people he started to see. He could recognize most of them, but by judging the look on their faces as they stared at him, he could tell that half of them couldn’t remember him or were either surprised to see him back. With his two suitcases and his nicer than average clothing, Levi knew that he must’ve stuck out from everyone else, but the stares he got didn’t make him anxious. If anything, it made him feel slightly superior. 

Finally, up ahead he saw where he would be staying. It was a modest sized house that was supposed to be a bed and breakfast, but since no one new ever came into town, it just served breakfast and had a few rooms to spare. Levi pulled his suitcases up after him as he opened the door and walked in. 

The smell of bacon and coffee drifted in the air while the sound of soft chatter floated around. A few people turned his way to stare, but he just ignored it and walked up to the counter where he saw the manager, Mrs. Blouse, filling up someone’s mug. When she looked up at him, her eyes lit up and a smile formed on her face. 

“Levi, it’s good to see you again.”

“Yeah,” he simply said. By now, he was too worn out to try and make small talk. Mrs. Blouse could tell that too as she soon stopped chatting and reached into a drawer behind the register. She pulled out a key and handed it over to Levi.

“Welcome back.”

Levi took it from her hand and suppressed a sigh. “Thanks.”

He walked into the other room away from the dining area and went up the stairs he saw. They creaked and groaned as he trudged up them and soon Levi made it to his room. He immediately closed the door, dropped his suitcases, and headed into the bathroom. The first thing he did was shower in the lukewarm water and change clothes, something he’d wanted to do from the moment he stepped foot in town. 

Drying off his hair with a towel, he sat down on the couch and examined the room. He was too preoccupied before to even get a good look at it, but now that he did, he saw that everything was covered in layers of dust and two lights flickered madly, threatening to go off at any second. At first he thought it was something he could tolerate, but after a few minutes of it, he couldn’t take it anymore and shut the lights off. 

A sigh escaped him while he closed his eyes and smoothed his hair back. It was already hard enough to spend a few hours in town, but three more weeks—it was starting to seem impossible to him. He knew that he would surely snap by then. Levi stood and went over to his suitcase. He rummaged around in it for his laptop and sat back down on the couch once he found it.

When it turned on, Levi was surprised to see that it was connected to the internet already. He took that as a good sign and searched for the files he’d uploaded to his computer the night before he left, but he couldn’t find any trace of them. As he looked for them, the room seemed to get hotter with each minute. After ten more minutes of searching for them, Levi started to grow impatient. As he thought of what could’ve possibly happened to them, something came to him and he finally realized what happened. Frustrated, he grabbed his phone off the table and called Erwin. The moment he answered, Levi started talking, not giving him the chance to even get one word out.

“Did you delete those files from my computer?”

“Yes,” Erwin said frankly. “I want you to actually relax during your few weeks off.”

“Those files were my way of relaxing, but now I can’t since you deleted them.” He could hear Erwin sigh on the other end. 

“Find another way to relax then.”

“When I get back there—“ Before he could even finish his sentence, Erwin hung up. Levi clutched his phone in his hand, trying his best not to launch it across the room. He tossed it down on the couch next to him and slammed his laptop shut. He wasn’t sure if it was because he was mad or not, but Levi suddenly noticed that the room was unbearably hot. Hot to the point where he couldn’t stand it anymore. 

He abruptly stood and walked out of his room and went downstairs. At this time, the dining area was empty and the sign outside was flipped around to ‘closed.’ He walked into the next room to see Mrs. Blouse standing with someone else he couldn’t fully see. She turned around just as Levi stepped into the room and gave him a small smile.

“Is something wrong?”

“My AC isn’t working.”

“Oh, yeah. I forgot to mention it earlier, but we’re having problems with it right now, but it should be fixed soon. Right, Eren?” Levi froze. 

_Eren?_

He looked to the other person whose face was still hidden as he kneeled down on the ground and peered into a vent. 

“Yeah, it’ll take me about fifteen minutes to fix it.” In less the a second, all the irritation he felt left his body and something else replaced it. Levi remembered that voice. Though now, it sounded deeper. 

“I can fix the one downstairs first and move to the one upstairs if...” He trailed off as he stood up and finally got a look at Levi. When their eyes met, Levi saw the familiar green that he’d seen millions of times before.

_Eren._


	3. Chapter 3

If there was any chance that Levi would feel sad or guilty, he thought that it would be at his uncle’s funeral, not now when he came face to face with the boy he once knew. It only lasted for a second, but Levi felt it clearly in his chest: guilt. Guilt for breaking the promise he once made to him. But instead of the resentful look he expected to see in Eren’s eyes, he only saw shock and joy. 

“Levi,” he said, his voice filled with awe. He smiled brightly. “You’re back.” 

“Yeah.”

Eren stared at him as if he was looking at someone famous. A grin was spread wide across his face yet disbelief still shone in his eyes. Levi tore his gaze away from him and looked to Mrs. Blouse.

“Do you know how long it’ll take?”

“You’ll have to ask Eren that. He’s the one fixing it for me.” Levi glanced back to Eren, but he still had the same expression on his face. He found it hard to believe that the boy who learned to tie his shoes at age ten could now fix something as complex as an air conditioning unit. When Eren didn’t say anything, he exhaled and crossed his arms over his chest. 

“How long will it take?” He asked again, a hint of irritation starting to seep into his voice. 

Eren snapped out of his daze and stood up straighter. “Probably around ten minutes. I can fix the upstairs first...if that’s what you want.”

“That’s what I want.” Eren nodded and turned around to pick up a bag of tools. He faced forward again with the bag in his hand. 

“Lead the way.” Levi went back upstairs to his room with Eren following close behind. 

“I’m sorry,” Eren said as they went up the stairs, “about your uncle, I mean.” Levi ignored what he said and continued up the stairs. No one said anything else while they walked over to Levi’s room. As they stepped inside, Eren turned the lights on. Immediately, an annoying buzzing sound started as the light bulbs began to flicker again. Levi instantly shut them off. 

“I can fix that too.”

“Just focus on the AC for now,” Levi said as he stood to the side. He watched as Eren crouched to the floor next to the vent in the corner and opened it with a screwdriver from his bag. Except for the sound of him undoing a screw, the room was completely silent. Levi still doubted that Eren knew what he was doing, but as he worked, his movements were smooth and firm. It looked like something he did often. Levi walked over to the couch and sat down on it. 

“So what are you now? The local handyman?”

Eren lightly chuckled as he attached the door back onto the vent. “No. I just try and help around town with stuff like this.”

“Do you get paid for it?”

“Nope.”

“Do you even ask to be paid?”

“Nope.”

Levi leaned back against the cushion and snorted. “I thought you would’ve been smarter by now,” he said. He expected Eren to snap at him or say something along the lines of ‘I’m not stupid,’ but that never happened. He only smiled at his comment and then stood.

“I’m just doing what I can to help everyone.”

“By letting them take advantage of you.”

Rubbing the back of his head, Eren looked down to the ground. “If that’s the way you see it,” he responded. He fiddled with some of the tools in his bag and then stood. “I’m going to check the generator in the hall.”

His eyes followed Eren until he stepped out of the room. When he finally left, Levi inhaled and rested on the couch, closing his eyes. A faint headache was starting to make its way into his skull. He didn’t know why, but he was unnerved at seeing Eren. At one point he knew it was going to happen, but he didn’t expect it this soon. Sighing, he rubbed his temples as his headache worsened. 

A low groan started to sound in the vent and then softened into a quiet hum. Soon, Levi could feel the air coming from it start to fill the room. _The brat actually fixed it,_ he thought. With the air fixed, his mood started to improve but as he stared at his laptop that rested on the edge of the couch, a faint scowl came to his face. Because of Erwin, he was now stuck in town for three weeks with nothing to do. 

For about thirty minutes he just sat there, wondering what to do now, but it felt unnatural to him to be doing nothing. As he was about to stand, a knock sounded at the door. He walked over and opened it expecting to see Mrs. Blouse, but instead he saw Eren. With a plastic bag in his hand, he stood outside the doorway. 

“What’re you doing back here?” He asked.

“I came to fix the lights.” Eren lifted the bag in his hand. 

“I didn’t ask you to do that.”

“I know. I just want to.” For a few seconds, Levi thought about it. _It couldn’t hurt_. He opened the door wider for Eren to enter. When Eren stepped in, he stopped and turned on the lights only to flip them back off. Staring at him, Levi shut the door. Eren walked over to the two lights that were messed up and stood under them. He took the new lightbulbs out from their package and pulled a nearby chair over to him. Levi watched him as he stepped up onto the chair with the lights in hand.

“Try not to fall on your ass.” 

He could see Eren smile again and nod his head. “I won’t. I’m a professional at standing on chairs now.”

Examining him, Levi leaned against the wall. During the years he was gone, Eren had managed to change so much than from what he remembered. The old Eren he knew was loud, intrusive, and impulsive, but the person he saw in front of him was none of that. He was calm and collected. Not only that, but he looked different too. His hair seemed slightly darker than what he remembered, his arms were more defined now, and he was tall too. Taller than Levi appreciated though. 

As his eyes scanned over his body, Levi noticed his shirt slightly inch up to reveal tanned skin. He stared at it unabashedly while Eren just worked at repairing the lights, and before he knew it, Eren was done and stepped off the chair.

“Try turning the lights on now.” Levi did as Eren said and flipped the light switch on. The lights turned on, brighter than before and without the flickering and buzzing noise. 

“You did it,” Levi said as he looked up to the lights. 

Eren stood up straighter with pride and grinned. “Yeah. This isn’t my first time fixing lights.” For a while, Eren just stood there and fiddled with the lightbulbs he took out. When Levi looked at him, he felt a warm feeling settle in his chest. Eren had changed a lot in the past twelve years, but some things about him still remained the same.

“Spit it out.”

Eren looked up at him. “What?”

“I can tell by the look on your face that you want to tell me something.”

Eren hesitated and then spoke. “How long are you staying?”

“Three weeks.”

“Oh,” he said. “Well, I was wondering if you would want to hang out tomorrow or another day.”

Levi stared at him as he tried to decide. His gut told him to say yes while his mind told him no. He exhaled and watched as Eren squirmed under his gaze. In the end, he didn’t think he was ready yet.

”I have work to do.”

As soon as he said that, Eren’s eyes dulled and he could clearly see disappointment in them. Again, he could feel guilt rise in his chest, but he ignored it and it soon went away.

“That’s fine”, he said, “maybe another time then.”

He picked up his bag and gave Levi a smile, though it was forced this time. He finally walked out, closing the door behind him. Levi continued to stand in the same spot, unmoving. He rubbed his temples and breathed out. The headache he had earlier returned back to him, this time even worse than before.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  _Italicized passages_ = memories. The memories are in no specific order. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

_Levi flipped the page of the textbook he was reading and leaned back on the bench. The only thing he could hear was the squeak of the swing in front of him as Eren slowly rocked back and forth on it. As the light in the sky started to fade, he squinted and did his best to make out what the words were. With the smell of rain prominent in the air, the weather turned humid. Glancing up at the sky, he saw dark clouds slowly drifting his way. He closed his book and grabbed his backpack off the bench._

_“Come on. We’re leaving,” he said. When he continued to hear the swing squeaking, he turned to face Eren._

_”Did you not hear me?”_

_“I heard you,” he mumbled, though he didn’t stop to get up. His head was pointed up at the sky and his legs pushed against the ground even harder, making him swing up higher in the air. Annoyed, he walked over to Eren and grasped the rusted chain to his swing. Eren jerked to a stop. He frowned and crossed his arms over his chest, but he didn’t move still._

_”Get up. Let’s go.”_

_“No.”_

_“No?”_

_“I want to stay here.” Levi rolled his eyes at Eren’s stubbornness and let go of the chain. He could tell by the look on his face that he wouldn’t be moving anytime soon from the swing, rain or not._

_“Fine,” he said. “Go ahead and get rained on.” He turned to walk away, but paused as he felt a hand clasp onto his shirt._

_“Wait, don’t leave me here.”_

_“I’m not staying just to get soaked by the damn rain. I’m going home.” Eren wouldn’t let go of his shirt. His grip tightened on it as he lifted his head to see Levi’s gaze. His eyes were pleading and sincere. Staring at him, Levi felt his resistance start to dwindle away. The more time he spent with Eren, the harder he found it to say ‘no’ to him. Huffing, he sat down on the swing next to him._

_“I’m staying for five more minutes.” Eren smiled and started swinging again._

_“Push me,” he said._

_“What are you? Five?”_

_“I just know how to have fun. I’m not boring, unlike somebody.”_

_“Are you calling me boring?”_

_“I thought I was making that obvious.” Levi glared at him and kicked his swing, but Eren only laughed._

_“Damn brat,” he said suppressing a smile. For awhile, Eren went back to swinging and talking simultaneously. By the time the dark clouds hovered above them, fifteen minutes had gone by. A strong gust of wind came and blew the swing that he sat on. Levi looked at the sky. Rain would surely pour from the clouds at any second. He stood up from the swing ready to leave._

_“Hey, Levi.”_

_He picked his stuff up off the ground and dusted dirt from his textbook. “What?”_

“Can you do something for me?”

_“I’m not staying any longer–“_

_“Not that. Something else.” Looking down at Eren, he saw that his eyes were staring off into the distance blankly._

_“What is it?”_

_“Don’t leave.” His voice sounded weak all of a sudden. “Don’t leave town. Don’t leave me here alone.”_

_Levi froze and looked at him. Eren’s eyes pierced into him. For a split second he found it hard to meet his stare, but he didn’t waver and glance away. He didn’t know why, but his chest tightened and it felt like a weight settled on his shoulders._

_“What’re you taking about?”_

_Eren shrugged. “I don’t know. I just...” he trailed off and then paused. “You won’t leave, right?”_

_Levi exhaled and looked away from him. “I won’t leave.”_

_“Promise me.” When Levi looked back to him, he saw a serious yet desperate expression in his eyes. He met his strare and stood in front of him._

_“I won’t leave. I promise.”_

_In the distance, a bolt of lightning flashed and thunder soon followed._

___________—•—___________

Levi awoke to the sound of rain. When he sat up and opened his eyes he saw that he had fallen asleep on the couch. His back and neck ached, but he ignored it and glanced at his phone. 3:53 am. He ran a hand through his hair and breathed in deeply. He didn’t know why, but a heavy feeling resided in his chest. Standing up, he dismissed it as nothing and went over to the window. Rain pelted it and streamed down the glass. 

He was beginning to notice all the negative signals that had been thrown his way from the moment he’d arrived. Usually he wasn’t superstitious, but with all that happened so far, he took it as a sign that something bad was going to happen. He stepped away from the window and walked around the room at random. 

Without any work to do, he felt even more tense. He took a deep breath and picked his laptop up off the couch. He sat down at a small wooden table in the corner and opened it up. Since there was nothing else to do, he rearranged his desktop and sorted through all the documents he had on it. After he had finished, he just leaned back and closed his eyes. But he wasn’t tired. He was wide awake. Seeing how much Eren had changed made him slightly surprised. Before, he never would’ve imagined him to mature that much, but witnessing it himself, he was taken off guard. It was like he was a whole other person. 

Shutting his laptop, he stopped thinking about it. He stood once more and cleaned anything he could. At this point, he was restless. He couldn’t stand to just sit down and do nothing anymore. Until the sun had started to rise, he did whatever he could to work. 

Levi just hoped that his three weeks would be over soon. Then he could go back to the city and his job, and find peace of mind again.


	5. Chapter 5

At night, the town looked like a run down dump, but during the day with the sunlight shining on it, it looked even worse. You could see all the cracks and graffiti on the buildings much more prominently, not to mention the trash that was everywhere. Walking down the sidewalk, Levi felt like he was transported back in time to twelve years ago when he still lived here. When Kenny was still alive and when Eren barely reached his shoulders. Bitter nostalgia came over him for a second at remembering, but he forced those thoughts out of his mind and avoided them almost like they never happened. Recently, he noticed that was something he could do easily now. As he shoved his hands into his pockets, he turned the corner and neared the only “book store” in town. 

Early in the morning before the sun had even started to rise, he decided to occupy his time by finding a book or something to read. It wasn’t as good as the ten files he had uploaded before, but it was something to do. Something that would keep him focused. He walked up to the small, brick building in front of him and pushed open the door. The smell of leather and aged paper was the first thing he processed as he stepped in. 

The room was dully lit and every space was either filled with a piece of old furniture, a bookcase, or some other random object. He looked around the room as someone walked out from the door in the back. 

“Welcome...” The voice trailed off. When Levi glanced at him, he saw that it was one of Eren’s friends. _Armin,_ he thought his name was. He was small, blonde, and had an apprehensive look in his blue eyes while he stared at Levi. Though he could tolerate it at first, Levi was starting to get tired of the way that everyone stared at him as if he were growing an extra arm. 

“What?” He asked annoyed. “Is there something on my face?”

“No, I’m just surprised,” Armin murmured, shifting his gaze to the floor. 

Behind his head, Levi could see what he was looking for. He walked past Armin to the back of the room where bookcases covered in dust lined the wall. He scanned the books that were stacked on the shelves, hoping to find a few that would hold his interest long enough. As he reached to pull one off the shelf, he could see Armin moving out the corner of his eye to the left. 

“Does Eren know that you’re back?”

“Yeah, he does.” The room went silent for a few minutes, but then Armin spoke again. 

“You know....when you left, it really hurt Eren.” Levi paused. His hand stopped in midair and hovered a few inches away from the book shelf. Armin continued. “He looked up to you and admired you more than anyone else, so when you left, he was devastated. He still hasn’t gotten over it either.” His fingers tightened around the spine of the book in his hand. The hurt that shone in Eren’s eyes twelve years when he found out he was leaving flashed in Levi’s mind. He glanced down at the ground, trying to erase that look from his head. 

“I know.”

“If you know then why didn’t you visit sooner, or at least call him?” Levi knew the answer clearly. He glanced back at Armin, a cold look in his eyes. 

“That’s none of your business.” Armin slightly flinched at his glare and looked away, though he still had a resolute expression on his face. When he spoke again, his voice was quiet yet firm.

“Eren’s my friend, so that makes it my business.” 

Levi backed away from the bookcase, not saying a word. He walked past Armin, his arms full with a few books. Passing the counter by the door, he fished a few bills out from his wallet and dropped them on the counter. 

“I’m renting these out,” he said evenly as he walked out. He didn’t want to listen to another word of what Armin had to say. He already knew how much he hurt Eren, he didn’t need it repeated to him. He walked through the town again, hoping that he wouldn’t run into Eren or any more of his friends. Finally, he made it back to the bed and breakfast and went up to his room. A puff of dust expanded as he set the books down onto the table. He moved to take his jacket off, but before he could get a second to settle down, he heard a knock at the door.

Sighing, he took a second for himself and answered the door only to see Mrs. Blouse standing outside with an apron tied around her and a spatula in her hand. 

“Good morning,” was the first thing she said, giving him a smile. “I just got off the phone with Dot, he’s helping with the planning for Kenny’s funeral, and he wanted you to meet him at the funeral home as soon as possible.” 

“Okay,” he said. Levi was starting to get the feeling that he wouldn’t have a moment to relax, though he wasn’t too worried about it. 

“I left my daughter with the food so I should probably get back,” she said. She turned and hurried back down the stairs. Levi stood there before he adjusted his jacket and stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind him. Again, he walked through the town, getting another good view of trash and dilapidated buildings. 

Halfway there, he pulled his phone out of his pocket to see that it was only eight in the morning. Ever since he entered into town, time seemed to go more slowly. He sighed and slipped it back into his pocket just as a man walked past him, roughly bumping his shoulder against Levi’s. 

“Watch it,” the man slurred. Levi could smell alcohol coming off of him and he could clearly see how drunk he was by the way he stumbled away. 

“Damn drunk,” he muttered. As he said those words, an image of Kenny appeared in his mind. He stood there in the cold for a split second.

___________—•—___________

_When he stepped through the threshold to his house, like always he saw Kenny sitting back in his recliner, a random tv show on, and a beer in his hand. Levi dropped his bag down by the door, but that didn’t seem to disturb him at all. He walked over to his room door._

__

_“Hello to you too.” Levi paused just as his hand touched the metal of the doorknob. Sighing, he turned around to face Kenny, who just blankly stared at the tv. He already knew what he was going to say._

_“Make yourself useful for once and change the channel,” he said as he lifted the beer up to his mouth. Levi could tell by his voice that he was only on his eighth bottle. He went over to the remote on the table in front of him and flipped through channels until Kenny grunted at one of the shows that was on. He dropped the remote back down on the table and stepped to his room again._

_That was how most of their conversations went. Just like that almost everyday._

_Levi sat down at his makeshift desk in the corner and looked at the clock on the wall. It read 1:39 in the morning, but to Levi it didn’t feel that late. He did his homework and read some of the books he had open on his desk. Before he knew it, beams of sunlight streaked into his room as the sun rose, and sounds of birds chirping along with the tv from the next room over filled his bedroom._

___________—•—___________

Levi sighed and started walking down the street again. 


	6. Chapter 6

Upon reaching the funeral home, the first thing he noticed was the wilted flowers slumping down in the ground in front of it. A faint smile pulled at his lips at seeing it. Dead flowers was just the perfect thing for a funeral home. He walked inside the small building and looked around. It was surprisingly bright on the inside with red carpets and stained glass windows near the back. Looking through the rooms, he saw that no one else was here except for him. _He wanted to meet as soon as possible and he’s not even here._

After a few minutes, Levi got tired of waiting and stood to leave since patience wasn’t something he was familiar with. As he walked over to the entrance, he heard the back doors swing open as someone came in. Levi reluctantly took his hand away from the doorknob and trudged back to main room. _There goes my chance of leaving,_ he thought. 

“Sorry, I had car troubles,” Dot said as he stepped over to Levi. “It’s good to see you again, though I wish the circumstances would’ve been better.” 

“Me too,” he sighed. In his eyes, anything would have been better than coming back here. 

“I know how much you hate small talk so I’ll just get on with everything.” 

As he went through all the details, Levi started to get an idea of what the procession would be like. Somber and standard, because there’s no better way to remember someone’s passing than with black dresses and suits along with gloomy readings. When he finished going through everything, Dot folded the piece of paper in his hand up. 

“I just need one thing from you.” Levi looked at him, ready for him to continue. He thought that everything would’ve been taken care of so he wouldn’t have to do anything, but it was only one thing. One thing couldn’t possibly do any worse. 

“What is it?”

“I need you to pick up the flowers from the shop and deliver them here. I would’ve done it myself, but I have other things to do.” Levi breathed out through his nose and tried not to seem too bothered. 

“Other things to do my ass,” he muttered. That was Dot’s way of saying he wanted Levi to do the hard part while he just lazed around doing nothing. Knowing the woman who owned the flower shop, he knew that he would be there for hours. At hearing his words, Dot only smiled. 

“I did plan a whole funeral.” _Sure you did,_ Levi thought. It didn’t take much for him to realize that most of the funeral plans didn’t look like anything that Dot would’ve come up with. Design wasn’t his strong suit, although he probably did arrange and oversee everything. Levi crossed his arms and frowned just at the thought of going over to the flower “shop.”

“It won’t be so bad Levi.”

~~•~o~•~~

“I remember when you were yay high. You were barely taller than a fence post, one of the shortest ones in your year, though not much has changed.” His eyes closed, Levi tried to block everything that Ms. Reeves said, but he was failing at that. He gripped the tea cup that she offered him earlier in his hand as she continued talking. By now, the tea had gone cold but she was still going strong. “Now, you might’ve not been the tallest one, but you were smart, I remember that much. You’re the only I’ve known to skip a few grades like you did.” Levi sighed. All he wanted were some damn flowers. “By second grade–“

“I’m in a hurry, so could you just tell me whether or not the flowers are ready?” He interrupted. She set her cup down on the table, not bothered by his tone in the slightest. 

“Why didn’t you ask me earlier?” She said, standing up. Levi shot her a look and set his cup on the table before his grip ended up shattering it. At this point, all he wanted to do was go back to his room and lock himself away in it until it was time to leave. When Ms. Reeves came back she had a piece of paper in her hand. “They’re ready whenever you are.”

“Great,” he said. He stood from the couch just as Ms. Reeves sat back down. 

“You know, when you were young you were always in a hurry to get things done. I remember...” Levi breathed out deeply, trying his best to stay polite, but that got harder with each second. He had been so close to leaving too. Through the noise of her chatter, he could vaguely hear a car engine outside and then a door shut. Someone walked around to the back of the house carrying some boards and planks. Ms. Reeves seemed to hear it too as she stopped talking and glanced outside.

“Oh,” she said, “that’s just Eren. He’s making me a new shed in the back. That boy truly is a gift.” Levi stared out the window as Eren went back and forth between his car and the backyard, carrying supplies and materials. Not only could he fix an AC unit, but he could build a shed and drive. Levi was impressed. While Ms. Reeves went back to talking, he watched Eren work outside. 

“Levi? Are you listening?” Begrudgingly, he looked back to Ms. Reeves again. When five minutes went by, Levi didn’t know how long he would be able to last, but then a knock sounded at the back door. 

“Good morning,” Eren said, standing at the doorway.

“Morning Eren. How are you?” 

“Good.” His eyes flicked over to Levi and lingered there. “Do you mind if I speak to Levi for a second? It’s an important matter.”

“Sure.” Levi looked at him curiously, but he was nothing but relieved to get out of this conversation. He stood and walked over to Eren. Stepping out onto the porch, he could see around two dozen vases of flowers sitting out on the table. He didn’t think about it before, but he didn’t know how he was supposed to get all of them to the funeral home.

“So what’s this important matter that you need to talk to me about?” He asked. 

“That was a lie. It looked like you were about to snap at any moment so I thought you might’ve wanted to get out of there.” He glanced at Eren from out the corner of his eye, slightly thankful for his lie.

“She wouldn’t shut up for one second.”

“That’s Ms. Reeves’ for you, though she is really nice.” When Levi didn’t bother to say anything else, Eren shifted and leaned against the railing. Levi could feel his gaze landing on him every second or so. “So how’s work going?” He asked. 

“Good.”

“That’s good.” Levi wasn’t up for making small talk, so he turned behind him to the flowers and wondered how he was going to move all of them. It would take a few trips back and forth to carry all of them there.

“Are you leaving now?”

“Yeah.”

“I can give you a ride if you want.”

“I’d rather walk than get in a car with you behind the wheel.”

“Then how’re you going to carry all those flowers with you?” Staring at the vases, he pondered that himself. At the thought of carrying flowers through town he cringed. The wisest thing would be to say yes, but he wanted to avoid being stuck in a car with Eren, even if it was just for five minutes. Exhaling, he faced him.

“Fine,” he reluctantly agreed. In an instant, a smile set on Eren’s face as a frown showed on Levi’s.


	7. Chapter 7

The car ride over to the funeral home was an awkward and quiet one. Whatever attempts of conservation that Eren made, Levi barely responded to them and stared out the window. It was only a five minute trip, but it was starting to feel much longer than that. Glancing at him from out the corner of his eye, he saw that Eren’s focus was directed on the road, though his eyebrows were furrowed like he was deep in thought. 

That was one thing he was beginning to notice about him. He seemed to be more caught up in his thoughts, and Levi didn’t like the serious expression that came over him when that happened. It made him look more...grown up. And that didn’t suit Eren at all. Levi tore his gaze away from Eren and went back to looking at the window. 

“Is something wrong?” Eren asked.

“No.”

“Are you...mad at me for something?”

“Why would I be mad at you? I’ve barely seen you this whole time.”

Eren shrugged. “I don’t know. You just seem really quiet and grouchy.”

“Aren’t I always like that?”

“Not always. You’re usually just grouchy, not this quiet.”

“Well maybe you’re just reading too far into things,” Levi said curtly. He could feel Eren look at him for a split second before he focused back on the road. As they pulled into the parking lot of the funeral home, Levi reached for the handle and got out as soon as the car stopped. He went to the back of truck and started bringing the flowers in. When he stepped in, he saw Dot sitting on the couch, his eyes closed as he snored. Scowling, he went over to him and gave the couch leg a hard kick. 

“Hey, wake up. I have your damn flowers.” Dot slowly opened his eyes and blinked when he saw Levi. 

“You’re back early.” Levi threw the flowers on the couch next to him and walked away towards the door. 

“I’m leaving.”

“Where are the other ones?” Just as Dot asked that, Eren walked in with the rest. 

“Was that all I had to do? Can I go now?” Levi asked, crossing his arms over his chest. 

“Yes, if you want.” Before Dot could even finish that sentence, Levi was opening the door and stepping past the threshold. “Wait, one more thing.” Dot quickly said, making him pause. 

“What is it now?” He asked. 

“Take it easy for these few weeks. Relax.” Levi stared blankly at Dot while he leaned back against his seat. Without a word, he turned back around and walked out, ready to go back to the bed and breakfast and hole himself up in it until the funeral. _Take it easy? Relax?_ Levi snorted. That would be impossible for him. He was only a few steps away from the building when he heard someone behind him.

“Levi, wait,” Eren said. Levi kept walking, but Eren ran up to his side. 

“Do you need a ride home?”

“No.”

“Are you sure, because I can–“

“I said no so I mean no. Don’t ask me again.” Eren faltered in his movements. Hurt flashed on his face, but as soon as Levi saw it, it disappeared. And just like that, he gave up.

“Okay then, I’ll see you some other time.” He walked away, leaving Levi to walk by himself. Levi didn’t know what he expected, but it wasn’t for Eren to agree and walk away so easily without putting up a fight. Sighing, he ignored the nagging thoughts in his mind and continued walking until he reached the bed and breakfast. He walked to his room again, and this time as he took his coat off and settled down on the couch with a book, no one disturbed him. Page by page, he occupied himself for hours, finally feeling at peace. It wasn’t until around six when a knock sounded at the door. 

Levi ignored it and continued reading. _It’ll go away,_ he told himself, but it didn’t. Someone continuously rapped on his door at quick and annoying tempo. Levi slammed his book close, walked over to the door, and yanked it open. Met with Eren standing there, he glared at him while a scowl formed on his face.

“What the hell do you want?”

Instead of the composed look that he was getting used to seeing on Eren’s face, he saw a firm and resolute expression in his eyes. It was a look he knew so well. 

“I know you said no to going out with me yesterday–“

“And my answer still remains no.”

“But,” Eren paused and then met Levi’s glare, “I don’t care what you say. I haven’t seen or heard from you in twelve years so if you expect me to let you keep a distance than you’re not as smart as I thought you were. So we’re going to go out, whether you like it or not.”

Levi’s grip on the doorknob tightened. Through his whole rant, only one thing stuck out at him. 

“What was that, brat? Maybe I didn’t hear it right cause I could’ve sworn you called me stupid a second ago” For a few seconds, Eren went deathly silent. His gaze fell to the floor as he slightly paled. 

“No..that wasn’t...I didn’t say you were stupid.”

“But it was implied.”

“No...I was...I just wanted to go out to lunch or something with you.” Regaining his confidence, he looked back to Levi. “And there’s nothing you can say or do to stop that.” 

“Oh really,” Levi said. He shut the door in Eren’s face and locked it. Turning around, he started towards his book again, but then a burst of spasmodic knocks sounded at the door once more. It didn’t stop either, only seeming to get louder and faster. Levi clenched his teeth together and went to the door again, harshly pulling it open.

“I will break your fucking wrist if you keep doing that.” Eren quickly dropped his hand to his side. 

“All I want is to catch up with you,” he said. 

“And if I say no?”

“I’ll wait out here all night until you say yes.” By the look on his face, he knew that Eren wasn’t playing. He opened his mouth to say no again, but then Eren spoke.

“I only want to talk with you for once before you leave again. You owe me that much.” His voice was small now. Levi knew it was going to be a mistake, but he met Eren’s gaze. Even though Eren was staring directly at him, it seemed like he was barely focusing on Levi at all. It was like he was in a different time and place in his mind. 

Those words along with the look of sadness in his eyes sent spike of guilt through his chest. He exhaled. 

“Fine. Tomorrow then.” Slowly, the sadness on Eren’s face melted away and happiness replaced it. 

“Tomorrow I’ll meet you here and we’ll go out for lunch.” Levi nodded. Eren shifted and rubbed the back of his head. “Okay, I’ll leave you alone for now then,” he said, though he looked like he didn’t want to leave. With one last glance at Levi, Eren smiled and walked away. Watching him go, Levi felt a feeling of relief rise in him. The stubborn look that was present in his eyes when they talked reminded him so much of the Eren he knew from all those years ago. For some reason, he felt reassured by it. Reassured by the fact that deep down, Eren was still the same even when it didn’t seem like it.


	8. Chapter 8

Levi didn’t get one wink of sleep through the whole night. He read most of the books he had and by sunrise he was done with the last one. His knee bounced up and down as he watched the sky become brighter outside. Ever since Eren came to his door last night, a heavy feeling remained in his chest. He’d only felt it one other time in his life, yet he could clearly tell it was the feeling he got whenever he was about to make a huge mistake. Slouching over in his chair, he ran a hand through his hair as he sat doing nothing.

~~•~o~•~~

Before he knew it, noon had arrived and Eren came back again, knocking on his door. He walked over to it and paused with his hand resting on the doorknob. Taking a deep breath, he stood there for a moment and then opened the door to see Eren standing a few inches away from him with a shy smile on his face.

“Ready?” He asked.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

“It’s just lunch.” Levi closed the door and walked past Eren. Sure it was just lunch, but Levi still couldn’t shake the feeling he had in his chest. With Eren following behind him, he went down the stairs and walked outside. Clouds covered the sky, not letting one beam of sunlight through. 

“Where are we going?” Levi asked, glancing up. 

“Maria’s.” With that being the only restaurant in town other than all the bars, Levi should’ve been able to guess that they would be going there. Eren stepped past him and started leading the way, even though Levi knew exactly where the diner was.

“Where’s your car?” 

“Home. Thought it would be more fun to walk.” Levi glanced at the back of his head. 

“Yeah, fun,” he said sardonically. When they reached the diner, Eren held the door open for Levi as he went in. Levi only rolled his eyes at the gesture and walked over to a table without him. Not many other people were there except for a few servers and two people at the counter. Levi appreciated that though. As Eren sat down in front of him, he looked over the menu in front of him, but nothing piqued his interest. He set it down on the table and gazed out the window as a waitress approached them. 

“What can I get for you?”

“A coffe, black.”

“And for you Eren?” She turned to Eren, a smile now on her face. Levi narrowed his eyes at her while she bit her lip taking down Eren’s order. He didn’t know why, but seeing it made him feel annoyed. More annoyed than he already was. Finally, she left leaving them alone again. 

“Are you okay?” Eren asked, noticing the change in his attitude.

“Just peachy,” he said, a deadpan expression clear to see on his face. As Levi stared at him intently, the waitress came back with his coffee and set a glass of water in front of Eren. She opened her mouth to say something, but before she could get anything out someone behind the counter called her back. Once she left again, Levi placed his elbows on the table and rested his head on his hand.

“So you wanted to talk?”

“Yeah.” Eren leaned forward and sat up in his chair. He didn’t say anything though. For a few seconds, he just stared at Levi, examining him, and then when he realized just how long he’d been staring, he quickly looked away. “Sorry, it’s just that I haven’t seen you in so long. I don’t know where to start.” With just a glance, Levi could tell that a million questions were floating around in his head. 

“Just ask me something already. The first thing that comes to your mind.” Eren looked like he wanted to say something, but then he hesitated. He glanced down to his water.

“How’s city life treating you?”

“Other than the large amount of trash, noise, and people, it’s okay.” 

“What do you do again?”

“I’m a lawyer.” At his answer, a small smile pulled at Eren’s lips.

“You always said that you wanted to be a lawyer. I remember how you were always reading those law books. I guess everything worked out for you.”

“Yeah, everything did.” Levi lowered his eyes to his coffee and took a sip from it. He couldn’t help but notice a dismal atmosphere come over them both as they remained silent. When he looked back up to Eren, he saw that his head was still lowered to his glass of water. Levi leaned back in his seat. “So, if you’re not the repair man, then what are you?” He said at last, interrupting the silence. At hearing the question, Eren seemed to perk up and a hint of cheer returned to his face. 

“I’m an architect,” he said proudly.

Levi almost coughed over his coffee. Out of all the things he expected to come out of Eren’s mouth, that wasn’t one of them. That was the farthest thing away from what he expected. 

“You, an architect? That requires a lot of math and you’re terrible at math.” 

“I know, and I happen to be good at math now. I got my degree last year online.” No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t imagine him as an architect. Eren grinned and reclined against his seat. “You’re surprised,” he stated. “Are you that amazed by how smart I am now? Not to brag or anything, but I was one of the top students in my class.” He said, his voice dripping with arrogance. Levi still found it hard to believe, but Eren wouldn’t lie about something like that. 

“You’re staying here in town then?”

“Yeah, of course I’m staying here. Why would I leave?”

“Because you’re an architect, and architects aren’t that high in demand here. You would do so much better in the city.” Eren tensed. He went silent. Before he could speak, the waitress came back with his food, cutting off their conversation. The topic of leaving town was abandoned as Eren started to eat and ask different questions. Levi let it go and answered all that Eren asked, even the ridiculous questions, and soon they were talking like old times again. 

When Eren finished he pushed his plate away and picked up the bill. Levi watched as he pulled out his wallet and placed a few bills on the table. Just by that, he could tell that Eren was more mature than he once was, though not by much. Noticing Levi’s eyes on him, Eren looked up and met his gaze.

“What? You don’t trust me to pay the bill and tip cause I’m so bad at math,” he teased.

“Just pay the damn bill already.” Levi stood up and lingered near the table as Eren set his money down. Once he was done paying, he followed Eren outside. He didn’t realize how much time had gone by. The sky was starting to get dark and the sun hung low. 

“This wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be.”

Eren faced him, a surprised look on his face. “Did you just actually say you enjoyed this?”

“No, brat. What I said is that it wasn’t a complete wreck.”

“Levi, I know you well enough to understand that what you just said meant that you actually liked this.” Levi sighed and walked in front of him. 

“Wipe that stupid ass smile off you face.” As he was about to turn the corner to his street, he suddenly felt a hand grab onto his wrist.

“Wait, I still have one more thing to show you.” He looked back at Eren, ready to say no, but when he saw the hopeful glint in his eyes, he froze. He shifted, taking his wrist back from his grasp. He didn’t know why, but the spot where Eren’s fingers touched his skin felt warm. 

“One last thing.”

Eren nodded. “Just one last thing,” he repeated. Levi let him take the lead and followed after him to wherever this one last thing was.


	9. Chapter 9

After ten minutes of walking, Levi started to get impatient. Looking around at the surroundings, he tried to get a hint of where they were going, but Levi came up empty.

“If you’re taking me to some dump I will be pissed.”

“Don’t worry, it’s not some dump. I think you’ll actually like this.”

“You sure about that?” Eren glanced over his shoulder at Levi, an eager look shining in his eyes. 

“Trust me. I think you’ll like it.” Levi doubted that, but he continued after Eren down the sidewalk. As they passed by houses lining the street, a sense of familiarity started to hit him. He could vaguely recognize them along with all the trees that began to cluster around a field. Suddenly, Eren came to a stop and stood in front of him, blocking his view. 

“We’re here,” he announced. When he finally moved out the way, Levi was met with the sight of a park. It stood out completely from the surrounding houses and streets, almost like it was taken from a catalogue and then just dumped here. Instead of the dead, overgrown grass Levi remembered, it was bright green and perfectly trimmed. He looked over at Eren, a skeptical look on his face.

“Surprise.” 

“Did you do this?”

“Well, me and the town together.” Levi gazed back to the park. “See, I told you that you would like it.”

“I didn’t say I like it just yet.” He stepped on the grass, hesitant that he might mess it up. The last time he was here, there was just a rusted swing set that was one storm away from blowing over and a old bench, but now it looked so different, like it was an entirely different thing. There was a slide, monkey bars, new swings and even actual benches. Levi looked around him, taking everything in, and then he went over to the swing set sitting in the middle of the park. Eren came behind him and sat down on it. He started rocking back and forth, yet there was no annoying squeak as he did so.

“I take it that you like it.”

“Maybe.” Sitting down next to Eren, he grasped the chain of the swing. It was brand new. 

“I thought you would’ve. You always liked this park.”

“I never said that.”

“But I could tell.” 

“So why’d you do this? Was it just because I liked it?”

“No. Well a little,” Eren said, coming to a stop. “While I was getting my degree, I wanted to start a small project to get some kind of experience. And I also wanted a spot for the kids in town to play, so I combined the two and remade this park.” Out the corner of his eye, he could see Eren pushing at the ground with his feet, though he was barely moving. “People in town volunteered to help and everything just came together in the end.”

Surveying the field, he noticed that even with all the equipment, there was still a deliberate placing in everything that made the park more charming. _That was all Eren._ He made it look like the picture perfect park. 

“You did good,” he said. “I can see how good an architect you’ll be.” Eren came to a complete halt and stared at Levi. 

“Can you say that again?” Levi slipped his hand into his lap and faintly smiled. 

“Your ego has grown too damn much.” 

“I like to think of it as confidence,” he said as he stood from the swing and walked over to the monkey bars. Levi watched as he pulled himself up onto it and dangled down from it. Like a kid, he went from bar to bar with a smile on his face. It wasn’t a surprise to him anymore how childish he was. 

“What’re you doing?”

“Nothing,” he said as he flipped himself up side down, hanging by his legs. 

“You’re such a child.” 

“I know.” Upside down, his shirt started to slide down to reveal a toned stomach. He’d gotten a peek of it a few days ago, but now he could see it in its full glory. Looking at his stomach, Levi wondered how it would feel against his touch, but as soon as those thoughts reached him, he forced them out. _It’s Eren I’m thinking about. Eren._ He didn’t realize he’d been staring until Eren cleared his throat and placed his feet back on the ground. He leaned on one of the poles and smugly raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Liked what you saw?” 

“You really do have a big mouth now.”

“I thought you would’ve appreciated that,” he said smirking.

“Are you flirting with me, kid?” Eren shrugged and walked back over to the swing. 

“I don’t know. Am I?” Levi couldn’t help but smile at him. 

The sky started to turn a shade of purple and orange as the sun was about to set. He was out later than he thought he would be, but still, he didn’t want to leave. He didn’t want this to be over just yet. 

“Catch me up on what’s happening in town.” Eren looked surprised at the request, but happy nonetheless.

“Well, since you asked...“ Eren went on with no restraint, talking about all that he knew, though Levi liked listening to him. An hour later once he finished, the sky was dark and the moon was starting to come out. For a while, they just sat there with a comfortable silence between them, but then Eren spoke again. 

“Push me.” Glancing over at him, Levi saw that he had a satisfied look on his face. He got a sense of deja vu from hearing him say those words.

“Push yourself.”

Eren stilled and then stood up. He walked behind Levi and started pushing his swing. Levi sighed, but he didn’t complain about it. As Eren pushed him, he gripped the chain of the swing and closed his eyes. 

“You really like this place too, don’t you,” Levi said. 

“Of course I do. This place is special to me.”

“Why?” Levi felt his swing start to slow. He looked behind him at Eren, but the darkness of night covered his face. 

“It’s where I met you.” His voice was serious all of a sudden, but before he could even question it, Eren was pushing his swing again and cheerfully talking. He didn’t know how long he stayed out there in the park, but Levi knew by the time he reached his room, the sun was already starting to rise in the sky.


	10. Chapter 10

_By the time Levi reached his house, the sun was already starting to rise in the sky. He didn’t know why he even bothered going home when he would have to leave for school in less than an hour. As he neared the door, he could see the mailbox over to the side overflowing with mail. It was normally like that, but what stood out this time was that an envelope in white laid on top of the box. Levi stared at it warily. In the back of his mind, he dismissed it as just another bill, but for some reason his feet paused and he couldn’t help but stare at it. He walked over to it and gently picked it up, staring at the words that were printed on the front in big cursive letters._

_Oakland University._

_The envelope suddenly felt much more heavier in his hands. Not looking at it, he walked inside to his room and shut the door after him. His bed squeaked as he dropped down on it and examined the letter. A million thoughts ran through his mind. Taking a deep breath, he ignored all the negative things floating around in his head, and opened the letter carefully. He didn’t realize it, but he held his breath as he pulled the paper out. The air seemed to grow warmer as he slowly unfolded it and scanned over the first lines._

_Then, one word stuck out to him._

_Congratulations._

_He’d been accepted. All that hard work he’d done had actually paid off, because in the end, he’d been accepted into the college of his choice. A rush of excitement and adrenaline coursed through his body as he re-read the paper again and again. He just couldn’t get over the fact that he’d been accepted. When he regained his senses, he realized that it was five minutes until school started, but now he couldn’t care less._

_Slowly and careful to not mess up the paper, he folded it back, placed it in its envelope, and slipped it into one of his books. It was just a piece of paper, but Levi didn’t want to part from it because it was the one thing that separated him from all the people living in town. Usually, he wouldn’t believe that one piece of paper could determine his future, but this was one of the ones that did. It told him that he wouldn’t be stuck in town forever to end up as another drunk. He would go to college and then become something greater than this town. Standing up, he carried the book with him close to his chest and exited his room._

_Kenny was in his chair like normal, his head resting against the back of the chair as he snored. Levi wanted nothing more than to shove his acceptance letter in his face, but he was smarter than that._

_He walked outside and started towards the school, going at a leisure pace. When he passed the halfway mark to school, he was somewhat relieved that Eren wasn’t there to greet him like he always was. He wouldn’t be able to handle him with all his attention focused on the letter placed in the cover of his book. After a few minutes of walking, he reached the school and entered into his first class. As soon as he went in, ten pairs of eyes landed on him, but he ignored them and took his seat in his chair._

_While the day dragged on, the only thing on his mind was that letter. He looked at it during and in between classes so many times he lost count. He’d managed to avoid Eren until school was dismissed, but before he came to look for him, Levi quickly left and aimlessly walked around town until he found himself at the park. He went over to the bench and sat down on it as he read his letter again._

_Now that the shock of getting it was starting to subside, problems seemed to pop up in his head now._

_How would he get there? Sure he had a scholarship now, but what if that didn’t last forever? Questions like that appeared to him, but the main thing on his mind was something else entirely. Eren._

_What would he do about Eren?_

_He sighed and combed his fingers through his hair. Eren would be heart broken by the news. He already knew that much. He could already see the expression of hurt on Eren’s face vividly in his imagination as he played it out in his mind. He closed his eyes and leaned against the bench. Listening to the silence of the park always made him calm, but this time it didn’t work. Footsteps sounded in the grass in front of him as someone walked towards him. He didn’t have to look to know who it was._

_“Where were you today? I waited for you at the tree, but you didn’t show up, so I waited for you at the front of the school, and you still didn’t show up, and I looked for you at lunch, and you weren’t there.”_

_“What is this, an interrogation? I didn’t know I had to meet you everyday.”_

_“It would be nice if you did.”_

_“Well I’m not nice. I thought we already established that.” Eren frowned and sat down on the bench next to him._

_“What’s that in your hand?”_

_Levi folded the paper up. “It’s nothing.” Eren quickly leaned forward and tried to snatch it from his hand, but Levi moved it back before he could reach it. “It’s none of your business,” he said slipping it back into the cover of his book. He could see the dissatisfaction on his face as Eren eyed the book._

_“Fine,” Eren said, turning away from him. Staring at his back, Levi exhaled._

_Eren would be crushed when he told him that he was leaving. That was all he could think of as he looked at him. The only thing he could come up with to avoid that would be to not leave. And for a few seconds, Levi actually considered that. If he didn’t leave, he wouldn’t accomplish his dreams, but Eren would be happy that way. His grip on the book loosened._

_For Eren, he would stay._


	11. Chapter 11

“So? Do you want to come home earlier?” Holding his phone up to his ear, Levi tried to think about Erwin’s question. It had been ten minutes after he’d gotten home from the park with Eren when Erwin called to check in on him, so his mind was still a little scattered. He pinched the bridge of his nose as he came to his decision. 

“I’ll stay.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” He didn’t want to imagine how difficult Eren would be if he ended up leaving a week before he said. So for Eren, he would stay in town like planned. 

“Something must have happened for you to decline my offer.”

“No, nothing did.”

“Sure,” he said, though the doubt in his voice was thick. “If you change your mind just give me a call.”

Levi nodded. “Yeah.” 

He hung up and dropped his phone on the table. Levi stared at the wall of his room, deep in thought. All he could think of was the time he spent with Eren yesterday. He’d enjoyed it, but he couldn’t fight the feeling of doubt that started grow within him. The feeling that he complicated things by becoming close with Eren again. He sighed and stood up. Whatever damage he had caused, Levi didn’t worry about it for now, because what’s done is done. He would deal with any problems that arose the moment they came up. 

In front of him, the books he rented from a few days ago still laid on the table. Since he had nothing else to do with his time, he decided to return those and get some more. It wasn’t his favorite option, but it was the only one. Unbuttoning his shirt, he headed into the bathroom to shower and change clothes.

~~•~o~•~~

By the time he was finished with his shower, he heard someone knocking on his door once again. There was no doubt in his mind that it was Eren. After yesterday, he wouldn’t be surprised if Eren visited him everyday now. He dried off his hair and slipped his shirt on, but Eren kept knocking impatiently. When he couldn’t stand it any longer, he went over to the door with the flaps of his shirt open and unbuttoned and tugged it open.

“You don’t need to knock like a maniac, I know you’re here.” 

Once Eren got a view of him, his eyes slightly widened and his mouth opened as a string of incoherent words came out. 

“I’m....I didn’t mean to...I just wanted to make sure you heard me.” Levi faintly smirked and opened the door wider for him to enter. 

“Where’d all that confidence from last night go?”

“Well last night your shirt was all the way on,” he mumbled walking in. Levi shut the door behind him and finished buttoning up his shirt. 

“Is there a reason you came by?”

“Nope. Just wanted to check in on you.”

“I saw you less than forty minutes ago.”

“I know. I guess I’m just making up for lost time.” At his words, he started to feel guilty all over again. Whenever Eren said things like that, he couldn’t fight off the remorse that always came with it. Levi finished dressing himself and leaned against the wall as Eren came to a stop. “I can’t stay for long though. I have some zoning paperwork and legal permits to go over.” At that sentence, Levi’s interest was piqued. 

“Paperwork and legal permits?”

“Yeah, for this new project I’ll be working on soon. I have to fill out all these papers that make sure I’m following regulations since it’s a bigger project this time.”

“I can help.”

“No, I wouldn’t want to trouble you with that–“

“I want to help and I’m going to help, whether you like it or not.” Eren raised his hands into the air, surrendering. 

“Okay, I won’t fight you on it.” 

“When are we leaving?” He asked as he grabbed his jacket off the coat rack. 

“Oh, you meant now. I guess now would work.”

Levi passed by him and was already out the door, excited by the mention of paperwork. He went outside to see Eren’s truck parked by the side of the road. As Eren exited the building, Levi got into the car and waited. At the promise of paperwork, he was more than okay with his decision to stay in town now. When Eren got in, he started the car and began driving.

“So where’s this paperwork at?”

“My house.”

“Your house? Are you still living with your father?”

“No, I moved out a while ago and settled into my own house.”

“I’m surprised you can manage that by yourself.”

“I’m not a kid anymore.” Levi glanced out the window, a small smirk pulling at his lips.

“Sure you aren’t.” As Eren drove down the street, Levi could recognize that it was the one that Eren used to live on. The sixth house near the end of the lane was where he lived. It was the only one without dying grass in the lawn or peeling paint and was the biggest one in town. If it weren’t for the surrounding area, Levi would’ve thought that it belonged somewhere in the city or in a town nicer than this one. Soon, when they got near the end of the lane, Eren turned into the last driveway and pulled up into it. Examining the house, Levi saw that the outside was actually nice. 

“So you live five minutes away from your dad?” Eren unbuckled and opened his door. 

“I could still be living with him. That would be worse.” Levi got out and walked behind Eren as he unlocked his front door. The first thing he noticed was how clean and tidy it was. That was something he would’ve never expected from Eren. He stepped in and looked around at everything. Just like with the park, every object, piece of furniture, and even the rooms were carefully planned and organized, making it look more welcoming. 

“Paperwork’s over here,” Eren said as he walked into one of the rooms. Levi walked behind him through the door to see that it was set up like an office. On the table, a large stack of papers laid piled up. It made him happy just to see it. Something that would keep him busy. But now, Levi felt like he didn’t need the distraction as desperately as he used to. He went over to the table and stopped next to Eren, standing close to where their shoulders touched.

“So this is it,” Eren said, facing him. He seemed caught off guard by how close Levi was next to him. Looking at how organized everything was, Levi felt puzzled.

“Everything being clean and orderly is throwing me off. I’m used to you being sloppy and dirty, not neat and pristine. It’s the last thing I would expect from you,” he said, eyeing his bookshelf in the corner. To his surprise, it was ordered alphabetically. “You’ve changed so much, yet you’re still the same.” He met Eren’s gaze.

Eren shifted, but he didn’t take a step away from Levi. If anything, it looked like he was slowly inching forward. “I used to have a crush on you,” he said, “so it’s kind of weird for me to be this close to you.” Still, he didn’t move back. 

“Has that changed too?”

“Not exactly.” Now, Eren was only a few inches away from him. He was so close that Levi could feel his breath ghosting against his skin. Then, suddenly he asked: “Can I kiss you?”

“I don’t know. Can you?” He was surprised by the words that came out of his mouth. It was like all reasoning went away from him. In his mind, he thought that Eren would back down. That he wasn’t brave enough to do it. But he leaned forward. As light as a feather, he touched his lips to Levi’s and pulled away. Then their eyes met again.


	12. Chapter 12

_“Have you ever kissed anyone before?” Eren asked, leaning against the table._

_“No,” he said. Levi hoped that he would just leave it at that, but he didn’t._

_“What do you think it feels like?”_

_“Disgusting.”_

_“How do you know that if you’ve never kissed anyone?”_

_Levi shrugged. “I just know.”_

_“I think you’re wrong. It’ll probably feel good.”_

_“Why don’t you try it for yourself instead of asking me?” When he glanced away from his homework to Eren, he could see the tips of his ears turn red._

_“I’m saving my first kiss for someone special.”_

_“Someone special?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“Who?”_

_“A person. That’s very special.”_

_“I got that part.”_

_“...Well this person is super smart, and brave, and confident...and...pretty.”_

_“Sounds like someone very special.” A small smile started to form on Eren’s face as he looked down at the ground._

_“Yeah. They are.”_

___________—•—___________

Levi pulled Eren closer as their lips crashed together again. His hand circled around Eren’s waist while his other buried in his chocolate brown hair. All the wind from his lungs was escaping fast, but he couldn’t bring himself to break away from the kiss. Levi inhaled sharply as he felt Eren’s hand settle on his neck and then slide down to his chest. As soon as his lips parted open, Eren’s tongue quickly darted in between them, taking Levi by surprise. He melted into the kiss and allowed him to take the lead before he returned the gesture. Their teeth constantly knocked together, but Levi was too far gone to care. He liked the sloppiness of it all. Liked the way the warmth radiated from Eren’s body. It made what they were doing feel more real to him.

When they separated from each other, Levi could see the lust in his eyes as clear as day. Leaning closer to him, Eren put his arms on both sides of Levi on the table. 

In all the time that Levi knew Eren, this had to be the most surprising thing for him. The way in which Eren tightly grabbed his hip and how he roughly kissed him without hesitation shocked, yet pleased him. The Eren he once knew would blush at any conversation involving the word kissing, but he could now do it expertly without any hint of embarrassment at all. It made him wonder how many people he had to kiss to become good and familiar with it. Levi’s grip on his hair tightened at the thought.

As Eren trailed kisses down his neck, Levi harshly yanked his head back up to where their eyes met again. Not breaking eye contact, he kissed him once again, only this time he took the lead. Leaning back away from him, he started to catch his breath, yet his iron grip still remained on Eren.

Ever so slowly, they started to get closer until their lips were less than an inch apart. Warmth traveled through every inch of his body. Then, as they were about to connect again, the sound of a phone ringing interrupted them. And just like that, the atmosphere was ruined. Levi snapped out of his trance and shifted his gaze to the floor. 

“You should get that.” For a second, Eren stared at him before he stepped away.

“Yeah,” he agreed. As Eren walked away from him towards the phone of the wall, Levi smoothed his hair down and looked at the papers covering the table. He’d forgotten all about those. 

“Yeah, let me just grab something to write on,” Eren said on the phone. Levi glanced at him, watching as he reached over to a stack of notepads on his desk and pulled one out from the middle. The stack wobbled, nearly tumbling over with a few falling off. Levi sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as the gravity of the situation suddenly fell on him.

He kissed Eren. Eren of all people. He sat down, setting his elbows on the table and holding his head in his hands. _I made out with Eren, the annoying, hyperactive, clumsy, awkward kid who would never leave me alone._ No matter how many times he repeated it in his head, he still couldn’t get used to it. _What the fuck is wrong with me._

Behind him, he heard Eren hang up the phone and walk over to the table. “Sorry about that.”

“It’s fine.” Levi reached towards the stack of papers and took the first one off top. “We should get started.”

Eren took a seat across from him. “I just have to make sure I follow the codes stated in that book,” he said motioning to the one sitting in front of him. “There’s not really much to do other than check over the plans, so I guess you could become familiar with the regulations and help.” Nodding, Levi pulled the book closer to him and flipped to page one. As he started memorizing all the rules, Eren picked up a pen and started filling something out. A silence fell over the room as they both worked.

_The height of a building or other structure shall be measured from the average ground level within–_

“Should we talk about what happened a while ago? You know, the kissing and all.”

“No.”

“I think we need to, Levi.”

“No, we don’t. Pretend it didn’t happen.” He could feel Eren staring at him, but he ignored it and went back to reading. Finally, he heard the scratch of a pen as Eren went back to work.

“I just don’t want you to become distant,” he said softly.

Levi’s eyes stopped scanning the text on the page while his finger traced the edge of the book. He hated how small Eren sounded. From the moment he first saw him, he knew it would be a mistake to get close to him, but it ended up happening anyway. He just couldn’t say no to him now. Exhaling, Levi flipped the page and went back to reading.

“I won’t.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m going to put this story on hold for a while. I’m not sure for how long, but I may still post a chapter every once and awhile.

By the time midnight came around, Levi was still busying himself with work. He’d memorized most of what he intended to, but he still wasn’t satisfied with just that. He wanted more to do. Something that would take his mind off everything. When he looked to Eren, he saw that he was reclined back in his chair, his eyes closed and his head drooping down. Once he heard a snore come from him, Levi frowned. Abruptly, he slammed the book in front of him closed. Eren jolted and sat up in his seat, looking alarmed yet still drowsy. 

“What?” He asked, rubbing his eyes. 

“Where are your plans at? I want to go over them.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“But I want to.” Without putting up at fight, Eren reached forward on the table and went through a mountain of files before he pulled out a piece of paper and handed it over to him. 

“Here,” he said sleepily. “The book of all the regulations is in front of you if you–“

“Don’t need it. Already memorized everything I had to.” As his eyes scanned over the paper Eren gave him, he could feel his gaze on him. 

“That’s impressive. You really are amazing.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered, getting to work. It wasn’t long before the room went silent and the sound of snoring started back up again. Levi exhaled and slid his hand around the back of his neck as he focused on the paper in front of him. He only made it ten minutes before his eyes found Eren. As he leaned back against his chair, soundly asleep, Levi couldn’t help but stare at him. Everything still felt so strange to him. Being back in town with Kenny dead and becoming close with Eren again, closer than he would’ve liked though. He didn’t plan for any of it. And that only made him apprehensive of how everything would end.

~~•~o~•~~

Levi managed to throw himself back into work until the sky started to get lighter. When he glanced down at his phone, he saw that it was exactly five o’clock. He leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes momentarily before he opened them back up to Eren. During the night, he shifted and now had his head nestled in his arms on the table. Watching him sleep so peacefully, Levi considered not waking him up. He put his elbow up on the table and rested his chin on his hand as he looked at him.

For five minutes, he just sat there, his mind blank, but once he realized how long he’d been staring at him, he turned away and glanced out the window. Orange clouds hang low in the sky, meaning it was time to leave. Levi wanted to leave about eight hours ago, but things didn’t go as planned. He sighed and stood from the table.

“Eren,” he said, trying to wake him, but he only mumbled “eight more minutes” and went back to sleep. Levi frowned at him. 

“Get up. Now.” He pulled his chair back, almost making Eren tumble forward, but at the last moment he jerked awake and quickly sat up. “Take me back to the inn.” 

He had a confused look on his face before he focused on Levi. Rubbing his eyes, he took a moment and then stood. Levi could see the reluctance in his movements, but for once he didn’t complain about anything.

“Okay,” he yawned, “let’s go.” He grabbed his keys off the table and followed behind Levi to the door. “What time is it?” He asked as they walked over to his truck. 

“Five.”

“It feels earlier than that.” He yawned again and stretched his arms out. “Did you stay up all night?”

“Yeah.”

“How’re you not tired?”

“I’m used to no sleep,” he said while Eren started the car. Out the corner of his eye, he examined him. After last night he expected Eren to act differently around him, but he carried on normally as if they never kissed. Or more like made out heavily until the phone interrupted them. Remembering what happened, Levi rubbed his temple and shifted his gaze out the window. He still didn’t know what came over him to make him kiss Eren. It just happened. It made him wonder what would have happened if the phone didn’t ring, but as soon as that thought came to mind he forced it out and stopped there. 

A headache suddenly hit him full force. It was long due though from the moment he first met Eren again. Levi released a deep breath and closed his eyes. He needed aspirin. 

“Levi, are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he said, even though he didn’t feel it. No matter what he did, he couldn’t get him out of his mind. Opening his eyes, he leaned back in his seat and glanced at Eren one last time. He needed as much aspirin as he could get. 

A few minutes away from the bed and breakfast, Levi saw the only convenience store in town pass by his window. “Stop the car.”

“What?” He could feel Eren look at him.

“I’m getting out now. Stop the car.”

“But we’re like six minutes away from–“

“Eren, don’t make me say it again.”

Finally, Eren slowed the car. In the middle of the street, Levi got out, but not one other car was in sight around him. He walked back towards the convenience store, hoping that Eren wouldn’t follow. Once he reached the store, he went in and headed straight for the medicine in the back. The alcohol lining the wall called out to him, but he forced himself to look away and continued to the aspirin. Ever since he left town, he’d never had a drop of alcohol since then and he didn’t plan on starting. Even when he wanted it more than anything now. 

Sighing, he snatched the first bottle of aspirin he saw off the shelf and then took another one for good measure. As he turned around, a scowl set on his face at the sight of Eren walking in. 

“For fuck’s sake,” he muttered. He walked over to the counter, ignoring Eren, and pulled some money out from his pocket. When he finished paying, he stepped past him and went outside.

“Hey, Levi. Wait.” 

Levi continued walking while his headache got even worse. He wanted to wait until he got home to take some pills, but at this rate he didn’t even know if he could wait three minutes. 

“See, this is what I was afraid would happen.”

Hearing Eren behind him, he froze and faced him. “What’re you talking about?”

“You’re becoming distant, and you said you wouldn’t.”

“I’m not trying to avoid you Eren. I just don’t feel well. So if you would stop running your mouth I would like to get back, take my damn pills, and sleep.”

“Then let me drive you back,” he said, not bothered by his tone in the slightest. 

“No, I want the fresh air.”

“Then let me walk with you.”

“Are you that set on having your car stolen?”

“It’s a small town. I think I’ll be able to find it again if that does happen.”

“Not when it’s in parts and pieces.” Eren huffed, but it looked like he was far away from giving up. 

“You’re doing it now again. You’re pushing me away. Just let me come with you.” When Levi met his eyes, he hesitated. Sighing, he looked away from him. He turned around and began to walk down the street.

“Are you coming?” He asked sharply when Eren didn’t follow behind him. The moment he said that, Eren caught up with him and began to walk beside him, a faint smile on his face.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes I may have. I will continue this story, but chapters will come out slowly.

Walking down the street, Levi’s eyes fell on everything except for Eren. When they were only four minutes away from the inn, he started to feel guilty. Guiltily for snapping at him, but Eren looked like he was used to his sour attitude by now. For once, he was quiet and didn’t say a single word. Levi tried to enjoy the silence while he could, but for some reason it bothered him that Eren wasn’t talking. He glanced over at him. 

“Why aren’t you talking anymore?”

“I thought you would’ve appreciated the silence since you’re not feeling well.” 

“It’s fine if you talk.”

“Are you sure?”

“I don’t control you Eren. If you want to talk, talk, if you don’t want to, then don’t.” 

Eren gazed down to his hands. “Okay.” He paused. “Are you annoyed with me now?”

“Why would I be annoyed with you?”

“I don’t know. You sound like it.”

Levi looked at him out the corner of his eye. “No, I’m not annoyed with you, I’m just tired.” If he would be annoyed with anyone, it would be himself. Ever since he came back to town, he’d been making mistake after mistake, and at this point he didn’t even try to stop himself anymore. He inaudibly sighed. 

Two men walking down the street caught his attention, though Levi didn’t think much of them. He slipped his hands in his pocket and focused on Eren again. His cheeks were starting to turn red from the cold, and Levi noticed the only thing he had on was a thin, short-sleeved shirt. But he didn’t seem that bothered by the frosty air. 

“You’re staring at me,” Eren stated, meeting Levi’s eyes.

“Am I?” He said. For a second, he just held Eren’s gaze, faintly smirking when he started to fidget. It was something he noticed Eren did a lot whenever he stared at him so intently. 

But then, he snapped out of his daze as he suddenly felt someone bump a shoulder against his. Levi ignored it and kept walking since he was used to drunks running into him by now. He didn’t get far though when he heard someone behind him. 

“Hey, you bastard. You ain’t gonna apologize?” Levi continued down the sidewalk, not acknowledging him at all. He knew it would either piss him off more or make him give up and walk away, but to his displeasure, the man didn’t give up. 

“I’m talking to you!”

Beside him, he could feel Eren tense up. After seventeen years of living here, Levi assumed that Eren would be used to people like that, but he guessed not. 

“Levi,” he whispered.

“It’s fine,” he said calmly. 

“Hey! You piece of shit!” Levi could sense that the man was walking towards them at a fast pace. As he reached them, Levi turned to the side and extended his leg out, making the man stumble forward. He landed on the ground with a thud in front of them. 

“Whoops,” Levi said. At first, the man looked confused, but once he realized what happened his face went red with anger. 

“You son of a bitch,” he slurred. He got back up to his feet, almost falling back down as he swayed from the alcohol. He went at Levi again only to trip on the pavement. Levi looked at him disdainfully as he sat on the ground again. 

“Stupid drunk,” he said under his breath. A hand fell on his arm as Eren stepped closer to him.

“Maybe you shouldn’t tease him like that.”

“He’s the one that’s tripping over his own two feet.”

“I know, but–“

At the sound of a switchblade, Eren stopped mid sentence. Levi turned his attention back to the drunk on the ground. A small knife now shone in his hand as he pointed it to Levi and stumbled back onto his feet. Levi stared at it, not a trace of worry to be found on his face while he stood a few feet away from him. With what he saw earlier, he was confident that the man would fall flat on his face again, but even if he did keep his balance this time, Levi was sure he could kick the blade away from him if he tried. 

Finally, the man charged at him, swaying on his feet. Yet he stayed upright and advanced to Levi at a quick pace. Getting ready to kick the blade away from him, Levi took a small step forward, but before he knew what was happening, Eren was suddenly in front of him. Then, that was when he started to worry. 

Within a matter of seconds, he heard a groan along with the knife clatter on the ground right next to the man. Eren was still standing tall in front of him, his chest heaving as he breathed heavily. Levi pulled him back by his shirt and glanced at the drunk lying knocked out on the ground. By now the other man that was with him had scurried away. Seeing the glint of the knife on the sidewalk, Levi tightened his grip on Eren’s shirt.

“How stupid are you? You could’ve gotten hurt from that.”

“And you could’ve too.”

“I actually had a plan. I wasn’t just going to swing my fists and hope that I hit something without getting stabbed.” 

“Well I’m sorry. I thought something might’ve happened to you, so I stepped in. But it all worked out, didn’t it?” Levi released his shirt and took a step back. He breathed out and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m fine,” Eren said as he slipped his hands into his pockets. Levi gave him a look. 

“Don’t do that again,” he said, exasperated. With that, he turned and started down the sidewalk like if nothing had happened. Eren sped up and slowed beside him.

“What do we do about him?” He asked in a whisper, glancing back over his shoulder at the man that laid on the ground. 

“Leave him.” Eren just nodded, saying nothing, though Levi could see how uncomfortable he was with it by the way he furrowed his eyebrows. For the rest of the way back to the bed and breakfast, they were both silent, which Levi found odd, but he didn’t question it. With Eren behind him, he walked upstairs to his room. 

As he unlocked his door, he looked over to Eren to see that his eyes were pointed at the floor. He shifted from foot to foot, biting his lip. Levi eyed him suspiciously.

“Eren–“

“What?” He answered quickly. When he lifted his head up, Levi could see that he was hiding something by the way his eyes went back between the floor and the wall, looking everywhere except for him. Levi glanced at how his hands remained in his pockets.

“Show me your hand,” he demanded. Finally, Eren looked at him and took a tiny step back.

“No. I don’t want to.”

“If you don’t show me your hand now I’ll just rip it from your pocket myself.” Eren’s gaze fell to the floor again, and he didn’t say anything else. Slowly, he took his hand from his pocket. Levi tensed at seeing it covered with blood. He stepped towards him and grabbed his wrist, examining his hand. 

“Why didn’t you say anything?” He asked harshly. 

“Cause I knew you were going to be mad at me.” A glare in his eye, Levi looked at Eren. 

“Of course I’m going to be mad. You got hurt and decided not to tell me until now.” 

“It’s just a scratch.” 

Levi turned and opened his door, his grip still tight on his wrist. He pulled him inside and led him directly into the bathroom. At seeing Eren flinch, he loosened his grip. Exhaling, he calmed down and flipped the water faucet up and then tugged his hand under the stream of water. Eren flinched again and bit his lip. 

“I can do this myself,” he said, though Levi still didn’t release his wrist.

When all the blood washed off his hand, he saw a medium-sized cut between his pinkie and ring finger. He slipped his hand under Eren’s and gingerly held it as fresh blood started to seep through the cut. He grabbed a towel from a nearby hook and firmly pressed it to his hand. Eren faintly flinched, but when Levi looked up at his face, he seemed calm and not worried in the slightest.

“Does it hurt?”

“No, just stings a little.” Levi lifted the towel again and then pressed it back down. 

“Hold this,” he said. He left the bathroom and went over to his bag. After digging around in it for a few minutes, he found a box of bandages and bandaids in the bottom. At first, he thought it would be pointless to bring them, but now he was actually glad he did. Taking a bandage out, he walked back over to Eren. 

“Lift it up,” he said. Eren complied and lifted the towel up. 

“You really don’t need to do this. It’s not that serious.”

“Shut up.” Gently, he wrapped the bandage around his hand. “You should have your father check this later on.”

“There’s no need.”

“Have your father look at it Eren,” he demanded, his voice coming out rougher than he expected it to. He exhaled. When he glanced up at Eren, instead of seeing a frown or hurt expression on his face, he only saw a faint smile. It confused him, but then it also made him feel relieved for some reason.

“Why’re you smiling?” Eren rubbed the back of his head with his other hand and gazed down at the ground. Specs of emerald green in his eyes seemed to sparkle while he shifted his stare to Levi.

“This just reminds me of the time we first met.”

Levi faltered. His hands hesitated as he held the end of the bandage between his fingers. The memory of the first time he met Eren drifted into his head. A sense of déjà vu came over him while he held Eren’s hand in his, feeling the warmth radiate from his skin. It was a nice and familiar sensation, but then, he focused and finished wrapping his injury, ignoring how Eren’s eyes bore into him.

“I guess it does.”


	15. Chapter 15

_While all the other kids in the classroom talked and threw balled up pieces of paper around, Levi sat at his desk in the corner, reading. Bleak House, it was a book he’d read time and time again, yet he never got tired of it. As he flipped the page, the bell went off and the sound of chairs scraping against the floor followed by loud voices flooded the small classroom. He looked up and glanced at the clock on the wall. He thought he had at least five minutes left before school was dismissed._

_Exhaling through his nose, he closed his book and stood. By now, all the other kids darted out of the room, and now it was just him and the teacher. He slung his book bag over his shoulder and started for the exit. He didn’t want to go home, but he didn’t want to stay here, so the park was the only option left that he liked._

_“Levi.”_

_He slowed at hearing his teacher behind him. Not saying anything, he just glanced over his shoulder at her. She smiled and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear._

_“Can we talk for a little?”_

_“About?”_

_“Your future.”_

_Levi inaudibly groaned. That was one of the things he hated talking about, but he stayed in the same spot, waiting to hear what she had to say._

_“Do you have any plans of what you want to do after this? It’s just that you’re very intelligent and catch onto things fast. And with your grades, you could get a scholarship to almost any college you wanted to.”_

_He looked down at the ground and then turned around to face her. “And?”_

_“You could be anything you wanted to. A doctor, entrepreneur, engineer...,” she paused and then continued,”...lawyer. I’ve noticed you’ve been reading those books a lot,” she said motioning to the one in his hand. “Does that profession interest you?”_

_Levi shifted and tucked the book in his arms. “Not really.”_

_“Well there’s plenty more things to consider. It would be a shame for you to stay in town forever though. There’s not much to do here, but it is your decision.”_

_“Was that all?” He asked. She nodded and leaned forward at her desk._

_“Yes. Just think about it.”_

_“Okay.” He turned and walked out the door. The hallways were already empty except for a few students and teachers walking around. While he walked outside, the only thing he could focus on now was the conversation he just had with his teacher. He knew it was something he needed to decide on soon, but he always dismissed those thoughts when they came to his head. In the future, this was the last place he wanted to be, but he just always assumed there was no way to get away from it._

_He convinced himself that no college would accept someone like him even if his grades were good, and even if one did, he wouldn’t have the money for it. But for a moment when his teacher was talking to him about, he felt hopeful for once. He gazed down at the book in his hands. Maybe things could work out._

_As he reached the park, he went over to his usual bench and sat down on it, opening his book back up. This time as he read, he carefully examined every word as if it had a different meaning to it. By the time he neared the end, the sky began to get darker and the wind picked up. While his eyes scanned through the words on the page, he suddenly heard voices coming from the edge of the park. He ignored it though._

_Levi shifted on the bench and sat forward on it. The more he thought about his future, the more he realized he didn’t want to stay in town. Like his teacher said before, there was nothing there for him. Nothing that made him want to stay, or that tied him down to it. He didn’t want to stay._

_The sound of yelling tore him away from his thoughts. He looked up and saw that three boys stood in a group around someone. He tried to ignore their voices again, but it was keeping him from concentrating on the book._

_When he couldn’t stand it anymore, he set his book on the bench and stood. Walking towards them, he could see one of them throw a rock at the one in the middle. He scowled at seeing it. He could recognize all of them since all they ever did was cause trouble around the neighborhood, but the one in the middle didn’t stand out to him._

_“Hey,” he said approaching them, “all of you get lost.”_

_They paused, but didn’t move one step. “Why should we?” One of them asked, a smirk on their face. “There’s three of us and one of you. Plus you wouldn’t beat up child,” he taunted. Levi glanced to the one on the ground. He was clutching his wrist and tears threatened to come out of his eyes at any second._

_Levi looked back to the one that spoke to him, and stepped to him. He roughly grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and brought him closer._

_“Want to bet on that?” His voice was low and forbidding as he spoke. He tightened his grip on his shirt and shook him. “Well?”_

_With a look of pure fright of his face, he shook his head. It was like all the confidence left his body in seconds. Levi released him, letting him fall on the ground. When he glared to the other two, they had the same look on their face._

_“Now scram kid.” In a flash, they turned their backs to him and ran down the street. Once they were out of sight, Levi sighed and looked to the boy on the ground. He hadn’t moved one muscle from before, but he sniffled and avoided Levi’s gaze. For a second, Levi just stood there staring down at him, wondering what to do. He was never good with children, especially children that were minutes away from crying. Finally, he crouched down next to him._

_“Let me see your hand,” he said, noticing how he cradled it. He wanted to see how bad he was injured, but the boy only backed away from him._

_“I’m trying to help.” The boy just sat there and leaned away from Levi._

_“Fine.” If the boy didn’t want his help, then he wouldn’t try. Levi stood up and turned, walking away from him. He only got a few steps away before he heard another sniffle and a muffled sob. He paused._

_“Damn it,” he cursed. He changed direction and went to the boy again. Sitting down on the ground next to him, he crossed his arms over his chest. He said nothing, just staring at the boy until he finally looked up at him. His eyes were red and a few tears welled at them. As soon as their eyes met, he quickly looked away._

_Now, Levi was sure that he’d never seen him before. He knew he would’ve recognized eyes like that if he had spotted him in town before._

_“I’m not crying.”_

_That was the first thing he said, even though he was so obviously crying._

_“I didn’t say you were crying.” The boy went silent again._

_“Is your wrist hurt?” Levi asked after awhile. He only shrugged though._

_“Did those little shits hurt you?” He was silent again, but then he slowly looked up at Levi._

_“That’s a bad word. My dad told me you shouldn’t say it.”_

_“What? You mean shit?” The boy nodded his head._

_“So you don’t like it when I say shit?” Levi asked, a smirk on his face. The boy frowned at him._

_“Stop saying it.”_

_“I’ll stop saying shit if you show me your wrist and tell me what happened.” He examined Levi, and then reluctantly gave him his wrist._

_“I was walking home, then they came and started throwing rocks at me. One of them pushed me and I fell on wrist funny. Then you came.” He gently held his wrist in his hand and looked at it. From the way it bent to its left more than it should’ve, he could tell that it was probably sprained._

_“It’s not that bad.”_

_“How do you know?”_

_“I’ve sprained my wrist a few times and this is what it looks like.” The boy nodded and then took his hand back, slightly flinching. “I would tell you to get a doctor to look at it, but the town doesn’t have one.”_

_“My dad’s one.”_

_Levi stood back up and dusted grass and dirt off his pants. “So you are new then.” The boy nodded. Now, he finally stared at Levi without looking away at every second._

_A breeze of wind came out of nowhere and disheveled his brown hair. Levi glanced up at the sky, seeing that it turned a dark blue. He didn’t notice how much time had went by earlier. He fixed his gaze back down to the boy still on the ground. He stepped closer to him, offering his hand out._

_“You should get home.”_

_The boy stared at his hand like it was something foreign to him. Then, slowly he grasped it, and stood. For a few seconds, he blankly stared at Levi, staying nothing._

_“What?” Levi asked._

_He only shook his head though. With one last look at Levi, he turned and started down the road. And Levi stayed in the same spot, watching over him until he disappeared from his line of sight._


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for any grammar/spelling mistakes this has, I was tired and pretty out of it when I edited this...so hopefully you’ll enjoy and thanks for reading.

“I should get going now,” Eren said. 

“Can you drive?”

“Of course I can. It’s just a scratch.” Levi gave him a look and then let go of his hand. 

“Okay,” he simply said. Eren took a step back to the door, but paused once his hand fell on the doorknob. He shifted and looked down to the floor.

“Thanks again. I’ll see you tomorrow, maybe? If you’re not busy.” Levi thought about it. He knew it wouldn’t help anything, but it couldn’t possibly hurt either. 

“I’m not busy,” he finally said. Eren faced him again, his face instantly brightening. A smile spread wide on his face, but it faltered as he tried to contain it and seem less excited than he was. 

“Okay,” he said evenly, “I’ll text you later then.” He turned back around and opened the door, leaving the room. Levi stood in the same place, his eyes remaining on the door. Only a few seconds passed until he heard the door open again, and then Eren peeked his head through. “I don’t have your number.” 

“Yeah,” Levi said walking towards him. He held his hand out for Eren’s phone. As he put his number into his phone, a nagging feeling started in the back of his head. It was probably wasn’t a wise idea and Levi knew that, but he couldn’t stop as he typed his number into his contacts. Now this time when he left, Eren would know how to reach him, and that thought made his apprehensive. He faltered, his thumb hovering above the save button.

Eren peeked at the phone. “What?” He asked. 

When Levi glanced up at him, the first thing he saw was the glee on his face, and how it made his eyes look like they were sparking. He exhaled when Eren met his gaze. His eyes lowered back to the phone and without hesitation he pressed save. 

“Here,” he said shoving his phone to him. Eren gave a small smile and took his phone back.

“Bye. Now I’ll text you later.” He left the room, gently closing the door behind him. Not even a second later, Levi’s phone vibrated as he got a text. He glanced down at it.

‘See you tomorrow :)’

Levi sighed. He didn’t bother responding and turned his phone off. Even if he didn’t give Eren his number in the first place, he had a feeling that Eren would’ve worn him down until he got it. Because Eren was stubborn like that. He always was and always will be. 

___________—•—___________

_The boy followed him around for days. He tried to hide sometimes and stay away from Levi’s view, but Levi could always spot him. He was completely obvious. Even now, when he crouched down in a bush, fully hidden by the leaves, Levi could tell he was there with just a glance. He sighed. He thought that he might’ve scared the boy off after last week, but he guessed he was wrong._

__

__

_He stared at the bush, and set his book down on the bench. “Come out already,” he said. The bush rustled, but no one came out._

_“Don’t make me go over there.” His voice was full of annoyance as he spoke. After a week with the boy trailing him everywhere he went, Levi was past the point of annoyed. A few seconds passed, and then the boy finally stood from the bush. Leaves stuck out from his hair and his clothes were disheveled, but he didn’t seem to mind it._

_“Didn’t I tell you four times already to stop following me?” The boy only shrugged and pointed his eyes to the ground. He fidgeted with his hands and shifted his weight from one foot to the other, acting like he was caught red-handed in the middle of doing something wrong. Levi sighed once more when he saw the nervous look on his face. He stood and started walking towards him._

_The moment the boy looked up at him, he took a step back and turned, about to run away, but before he could even get an inch away Levi grabbed the back of his shirt and held him in place._

_“No. No more running away. We’re going to talk and then you’re going to stop following me. It’s annoying as sh—“ Levi faltered when he met the boy’s eyes. He closed his mouth and left his sentence unfinished as he tugged him over to the bench._

_“Sit,” he commanded. Playing with the fabric of his shirt, the boy looked down at the bench, but remained standing. Annoyed, Levi sat down, pulling him down next to him. Still, he didn’t ease his grip on his shirt. “Why’re you following me?” He asked, cutting straight to the point._

_The boy shrugged again and ignored him. Levi glared at him._

_“Do you want something from me?”_

_He looked down at the ground, saying nothing._

_“Answer me kid.”_

_He still said nothing._

_Beyond irritated with his silence, Levi suddenly pinched his cheek and harshly squeezed it between his fingers. The boy flinched while Levi pulled him closer._

_“Talk. Now.”_

_”I just want to be your friend,” he said instantly. Once Levi heard the words, he exhaled and stared down at the boy. Now it made sense to him. He released his cheek and rested his hand in his lap._

_“No.”_

_”Why not?”_

_“You’re annoying.”_

_“No I’m not,” he said, rising to his feet. An angry pout set on his face while he turned and looked at Levi._

_Leaning back on the wood, Levi directed his eyes away from the boy, frowning. “You’re being annoying now.”_

_“And you’re being a jerk.”_

_“My answer is still no, and it will remain no.” The boy frowned at him and crossed his arms._

_“I don’t care if your answer is no. I won’t stop following you until you saw yes to me.” His eyes flashed with determination, and Levi could tell that he would follow through with what he said. He sighed as he felt the beginning of a headache hit him. The last thing he wanted to deal with now was an obnoxious, stubborn boy trailing him for the next few years. He would surely snap by then, but when he considered the option of saying yes to being his friend, Levi felt that it was even worse._

_Finally, he met the boy’s gaze. Specs of green in his eye seemed to shine while he still had the same stubborn look on his face, yet Levi could see nervousness start to creep up in them. He sat up straighter on the bench and crossed his arms over his chest._

_“What’s your name?”_

_“Eren,” he said._

_“Well Eren, my answer is still no. So have a nice walk home.” Instead of the angry look he expected to see on his face, he seemed relatively calm, and only sat down on the bench next to Levi._

_“What’s your name?” He asked this time._

_An exasperated breath left Levi. All he wanted was a moment of peace, but he had a feeling he wouldn’t get that with Eren around._

_“Go home kid,” he said, irritation clear to hear in his voice._

_“That’s not fair. I told you my name so you should tell me yours.”_

_“Life’s not fair.”_

_“I won’t leave until you tell me it,” he said crossing his arms over his chest. Seeing the firm look in his eyes, Levi grew tired. He leaned back on the bench and set his hand on the back of his neck._

_“...Levi.”_

_Eren perked up and shifted his gaze to him. “What?”_

_“My name is Levi, so you can go now.” A smile slowly spread on his face, and soon he stood._

_“Okay. See you tomorrow then Levi,” he said, his voice full of excitement. And just like that, he left._

_Watching his back as he walked away, Levi sat forward and grabbed his book next to him. Now, he started to regret giving him his name, but it was the only thing he could think of to get him to leave. The only way other than using force, but for some reason he didn’t want to that to him. Remembering the stubborn look in his eyes, the headache he felt from earlier came and hit him full force. He had a feeling that he would be stuck with Eren for who knew how long, and at the thought his headache worsened._

_For the hundredth time that day, Levi sighed. When the sun started to set below the horizon, he stood and slowly started to make his way home._


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter this time, though the next chapter is going to be a little longer. Hope you all enjoy.

The room glowed a faint orange as the sun began to rise outside. Levi sat on the couch, staring down at the clothes he already laid out for tomorrow. It was just a plain white button down shirt and black pants, but he thought it was appropriate for a funeral where half the people there were going to be drunk and wearing whatever clothing they found lying around their house. 

He breathed out and leaned back on the cushion, his hand locking onto the back of his neck. After today, he would have two weeks left in town. Only fourteen days. At first, he couldn’t wait to get back to the city and a part of him still wanted to get this over with already, but now he was starting to have doubts. And Levi never thought he would have that problem when he first came to town. All because of...

He looked down when his phone vibrated on the table. Eren’s name popped up on his screen as he got a text. It was the first time that Eren had texted him since yesterday, and Levi was surprised that he’d managed to hold off for that long. 

‘Good morning’

Not a second later, another text appeared on his screen. ‘Can I come over?’

Levi sat up and stared down at his phone as he thought about it. Exhaling, he typed out, ‘I don’t care,’ and hit send. 

He turned his phone off and tossed it down on the seat next to him while he stood. As he hung his funeral clothes up in the closet, he heard a knock. A sigh left him when he glanced at the door. He was hoping to get a moment of peace before Eren showed up, but now he knew that wouldn’t happen.

A frown on his face, he answered the door to see a girl with brown hair pulled into a ponytail standing there. She gave him a small smile despite the frown on his face. 

“My mom sent me up here to see if you wanted breakfast. It’s ready, fresh made,” she added. 

“No, I’m fine.” He took a step back about to close the door, but then she spoke again. 

“Levi,” she said, though it sounded more like a question. “You’re Eren’s friend, right? The one he always used to hang out with.” Taken off guard by the question, he hesitated and rested his hand on the side of the door. 

“Why’re you asking?”

She shrugged. “Just curious I guess. It’s just that Eren seems a little more chipper now these days.” 

Levi shifted and opened the door wider. _A little more chipper,_ he thought. Her words made it sound like Eren wasn’t his usual cheerful self, but maybe he was overthinking it. Just as he was about to speak, he heard footsteps and then Eren came into his line of sight. 

“Hey. What’re you doing here?” he asked, his eyes landing on the girl. 

“Just telling him how happy you’ve been ever since he’s come back.”

“What? Sasha,” he said, a hint of embarrassment in his voice.

She only smiled. “Just telling it like I see it. You’ve been spending all your time with him. It’s like you don’t even have time for your other friends anymore,” she said teasingly.

“I’m just using all my time for him since I only have a couple weeks left.” Levi shifted his eyes down to the floor. 

“You should invite him out with us tonight.” She smiled to herself and looked at Levi. “We’re going to one of the bars. It’ll be fun.” Levi doubted that though. 

“I don’t drink,” he said.

“Oh, well just a thought. You don’t have to come.”

Their conversation was interrupted as Mrs. Blouse called up the stairs for her. Sasha waved bye to Eren and then scurried down the hallway to the steps. Eren scratched the back of his head and faced Levi.

“Can I come in?” he asked. 

Without a word, Levi pulled the door open for him and turned around. He heard Eren walk in behind him and then close the door. 

“You got here fast.”

“I was already on the way when I texted you.”

“And if I said no?”

“I didn’t think that far ahead yet”

“Why don’t you just sleepover if you’re going to come by everyday,” he said sarcastically, but when he looked at Eren to see a hopeful look on his face he sighed. “I’m kidding.”

Eren nodded his head. “I knew that.” 

Levi sat down and folded his arms over his chest. “Was that girl one of your friends?” he asked. 

“Sasha? Yeah.” 

She looked familiar, but Levi didn’t remember Eren mentioning her or even seeing them hang out when he still lived there. Other than himself and two other kids in his grade, Eren didn’t really spend time with anyone else. He was the furthest thing away from shy and quiet though. There were times when Levi had to use force to shut him up, and even then he wouldn’t be silent. It made him wonder why he never bothered to make other friends. As he thought about it, he unconsciously peered at Eren. 

“What?” he asked.

Levi shook his head. “Just surprised that other people can put up with your shit.”

“I can make other friends. I’m not as helpless as you think I am. 

“You sure about that?”

“I did manage to get my degree, and design and rebuild a park, so I don’t know, maybe I’m not so helpless.”

A small smile pulled at his lips. In his eyes, Eren would always be the same helpless boy he first saw at the park, though now he did seem a little more mature. He was moving on and growing up. Levi sighed and looked away from Eren as a twinge of sadness crept into him. 

“You should go with your friends tonight,” he said. 

“No, it’s fine. I’d rather spend my time with you anyway.”

“What if I came with you?” Levi found himself asking. It was just a simple question that he had no plan on acting on, but when he saw how Eren’s eyes lit up and the smile that flashed on his face, he wondered why he ever brought it up in the first place.

“Really? You’re willing to do that?” _No,_ was what he wanted to say, but instead he just nodded his head and looked away. Since he was leaving in two weeks, why not just try to make Eren as happy as he could while he was still there? That was the least he could do. Eren stood and grinned brightly as he took his phone from his pocket. 

“Okay. I’m going to tell Sasha we’ll be coming then,” he said. And with that, his fate was sealed.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a while since I last posted and I can’t guarantee that the next chapter will come out soon....so enjoy.

The moment Levi arrived outside of the bar, he started to think that agreeing to this was a mistake. Music and loud voices was the only thing he heard as he stood in front of the door with Eren at his side. He sighed. 

“Are you okay with this? You look–“

“Let’s go,” he said yanking the door open. The lights were dimmed and even though it was loud, the inside wasn’t that crowded. Of in the corner he saw a group of people Eren’s age as they laughed and talked. Then his eyes landed on the girl he saw from earlier, and once she saw him a smile broke out on her face and she waved to them.

Now he was really regretting agreeing to this. He let Eren step in front of him and then lead the way towards the table in the back. Once they reached the table, everyone’s eyes went to him, but it didn’t bother him. He scanned through the people sitting there, but he the only ones he knew immediately knew were Sasha, another girl, and Armin, though he was avoiding eye contact. Levi could vaguely recognize one of the other guys sitting there too, but other than that, the rest were lost on him. 

“Look who decided to show up,” one of them said. 

“Yeah, I haven’t seen you for weeks,” another piped in. 

“It’s only been one week,” Eren said with a smile. He shifted to the side, glancing at Levi. “And this is Levi, though I’m pretty sure all of you know him.”

A few people waved and said hi, but Levi kept a straight look on his face and didn’t say anything. When Eren sat down, he sat down next to him on the seat.

“I’ll go get another round,” a boy said as he stood from the table. 

“So how long are you staying?” One of them asked Levi.

“Two more weeks.”

“How’s it like to be back? What do you think of town?”

Levi leaned back against the booth. “It’s just as crappy as I remembered it to be,” he said bluntly. 

A few people laughed stiffly, and no one else asked him anymore questions, which Levi was glad for. Soon, the conversations started up again while people chatted amongst themselves. When the boy returned back with more beer, Levi only glanced at the bottle set in front of him and then slid it to Eren. 

As he listened to everyone speak, he said nothing and just sat back, but he could feel someone staring at him the whole time. When he looked across from him, he was met with a glare. It was the only girl he recognized other than Sasha. _Mikasa_ , he thought. The name did ring a bell. 

She continued to stare at him fiercely, but soon she looked away. Levi kept his eyes on her, wondering what he had done to her, though eventually he let it go and let his gaze wander to Eren. 

Seeing him smile, talk, and laugh with his friends made Levi feel content. It made him see that even with him gone, Eren carried on perfectly. When he left he was only worried about Eren and how he would function without him there, but he did just fine by himself. He made friends and even got a degree in architecture. He was fine without him, and as much as it relieved him, a part of him didn’t like that. Because that meant Eren didn’t need him. 

Once he finally realized that, his chest twinged with an emotion he couldn’t place. Levi exhaled and looked away from him. “I’m going to get some fresh air,” he said, leaning towards him. 

He rose to his feet and walked outside, ignoring the look that Eren gave him. By then, the sun had already set and it was dark out except for the flashing signs on the window. He took a deep breath and then rested his back against the wall. Now he was starting to wonder why he ever agreed to this in the first place. 

It’d been an hour since he first arrived, so in his mind it was okay to leave. He talked and listened, and that was enough for him. Eren would understand. He hesitated, and stood there for a while. Finally, he pushed off the wall and walked forward, passing the entrance to the bar, and started back towards the hotel, but he only took one step before he heard a voice behind him. 

“Where are you going?”

He paused. Instead of Eren’s voice, he heard a girl’s. When he turned around he saw Mikasa standing in front of the door, facing him. 

“I’m tired and I’m going back,” he simply said. 

“So you’re just going to leave Eren like that again?”

Levi tensed. “He’s twenty-five. I’m pretty sure he’ll be fine if I leave.”

“Will he though? You weren’t here to see him when you left the first time so you don’t know. I was here for him however, and I saw how much it hurt him.”

Levi turned his back to her. At this point he was tired. Tired of people bringing up his leaving like it was the most terrible thing to happen. It’s been twelve years already. There was a lot that he wanted to say, but he calmly exhaled and for once in his life, he held his tongue. 

“If you want to tell Eren I went back, you can,” he said, and with that he walked forward, done with the conversation. Mikasa didn’t say anything to stop him, and within five minutes he made it back to his room. As he walked into his bedroom and sat down on the bed, he pulled his phone out and stared at it.

For a second, he thought about calling Erwin and telling him that he wanted to come back early, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. Eren’s smile appeared in his mind, and that was enough to make him toss his phone away onto the bed. _Why can’t I focus anymore_ , he wondered, but the answer became clear as his mind went back to Eren again. He sighed and pushed his hair out from his face. 

Levi knew his feelings for him hadn’t changed, but then the memory of when they kissed flashed in his mind. Closing his eyes, he sat up and held the back of his neck. For once, he didn’t know what to think.

~~•~o~•~~

Only ten minutes passed before he heard a single knock at his door. He looked up, and then looked back down at the floor. He stood, but instead of answering the door he walked into the bathroom and grabbed the bottle of aspirin he had on the counter. A headache pounded at the back of his skull, only seeming to get worse. Taking one of the pills, another knock sounded at the door, and then another, and then another. Annoyed, he set the bottle down, stormed over to door, and then threw it open. Eren stood outside, a pack of bottles in his hand.

Even with the frown that was on Levi’s face, he smiled. “Hi.” 

He was tempted to close the door on his face, but instead he just walked away from him. 

“What do you want?” he asked tersely. 

Stepping in, Eren said, “Well since you didn’t have a good time at the bar, I decided to make it up to you. And since you don’t drink, I brought some fancy water in glass bottles.”

Levi sat on the couch and looked at him. “You can stay.”

Eren set the pack of water on the table and sat next to him on the sofa. “I’m sorry.”

“Why’re you apologizing?”

“It probably wasn’t the best idea to invite you to go out drinking when you your uncle’s funeral is tomorrow. Or today actually.”

“I was the one who decided to go.”

Eren breathed out and rested against the back of the couch. “It’s just...” he paused and then stopped himself for a second, “...did you at least have a good time for the forty minutes you just sat there?”

“It was best forty minutes of my life,” he said dryly. 

“Levi.”

“What you want me to say?”

“I don’t know. Something other than that.”

Levi sighed and gazed at Eren. “You had more friends than I imagined.”

Eren smiled and laughed softly. “What did you expect? That I would only have like three.”

“If even that.”

Eren leaned forward and took a bottle of water out from the pack. It made a low hissing sound when he popped the cap off and bubbles fizzled on the inside. He handed it to Levi and grabbed another one for himself. For a while, Levi just stared at the bottle in his hand. He had a feeling it was something he wouldn’t like, yet he still lifted it to his mouth and took a sip. 

“Is it acceptable for your tastes,” Eren asked, setting his bottle down on the table. 

“It’s shit.” 

“Oh. Well if you don’t like it don’t drink it then.” When he saw the dissatisfaction on his face, Levi started to regret saying what he did. 

He missed the smile he saw when Eren was with his friends. Thinking of it, his mind went back to all the people he saw earlier at the bar. It made him a little jealous that he wasn’t the only one that could make Eren happy, but he knew it was selfish of him to think that Eren wouldn’t carry on just because he left. 

Still, he was glad that Eren had people like Armin and Mikasa in his life. He thought about all the other petiole that sat around the table, but he focused on the guy he could vaguely recognize. At the time, he couldn’t recall how he knew him, but now he started to remember him. 

“You’re friends with the asshole that picked on you?”

Eren looked at him, slightly caught off guard by the sudden question. “Jean? Yeah. He’s not as bad as he used to be.”

“Really now?” Levi crossed his arms over his chest. Even with what Eren said, he found it hard to believe him. The only time he ever saw Jean was when he was messing with Eren. The first time he even met Eren, Jean was one of the kids that pushed him over at the park. 

“Yeah. He stopped hanging out with the other people who used to bully me and then he kinda got better. He’s still a little bit of an asshole though.”

Levi sat back and focused his eyes back on Eren. “It’s shocking. You can actually make friends now.”

“I could always make friends.” 

“The way I remember it, you never even attempted to talk to other people.”

Eren shifted and pointed his gaze down at the floor. “That’s because I didn’t need to make friends. I had you.”

Levi froze. Hearing the sincerity in his voice, his heart thumped in his chest.

“I guess I’ll leave now. It’s already so late.” Levi just stared at him, his mind blank. Eren fidgeted under his gaze.

“What?” he asked. 

Levi breathed out calmly as he looked into his eyes. As he tried to hold himself back, his fingers clenched the couch cushion, but soon, he just let everything go and gave in.

_Fuck it_ , he thought. Without hesitation he leaned towards him and brushed his lips against Eren’s. Eren tensed, but soon he scooted closer to him and returned the kiss. When Levi pulled away, he could see the confusion and surprise on his face, yet Eren remained silent, speechless. 

“You can leave,” he said, his hand sliding up his shirt, “or you can stay here for the night. Your choice.” He met Eren’s eyes. 

The room went quiet, and all Levi could hear was the tick from the clock on the wall. Without warning, Eren suddenly towered over him, forcing his back against the sofa arm, and then he kissed him. Levi took that as his answer and pressed his fingers into the back of Eren’s neck while Eren pushed him further down against the couch. 

It felt like the first time they kissed. Hurried, rough, intense, desperate. And Levi enjoyed every second of it. The moment Eren parted his lips, he forced his tongue in his mouth, taking pleasure in the small sounds that he made. 

When they parted, Levi smirked at seeing his flushed cheeks and the lust present in his eyes. The warmth between them got more intense, and Levi leaned in closer to him again, but before he could reach out and touch him, Eren grasped his arm and pinned it down as he rolled his hips over Levi’s.

“Fuck,” he mumbled against his lips. Eren’s touch was electrifying while he brushed his fingers over his arm. Levi moved his hand through his hair, tugging at it whenever spikes of pleasure shot down his spine. Soon, Eren broke away from him, his breaths coming out ragged. 

For a moment they locked eyes, and watching as an array of emotions flickered in Eren’s, Levi felt frozen in place. He couldn’t look away from him. Once again, he leaned forward like he was about to kiss him, but at the last moment he pasued. Their mouths inches apart, Eren hesitated, holding Levi’s gaze. 

“Are you going to pretend that this never happened in the morning?”

Anxiety wavered on his face as he bit his lip and tightened his grip on Levi’s wrists. Staring at him, Levi felt a strange feeling rise up in the pit of his stomach. He loosened his fingers in his hair and breathed out. 

“No. I won’t do that again,” he said, and not even a second later, Eren smashed his mouth against Levi’s. Yet, he could still feel his anxiety by the way his grip softened and by the hesitation in his movements. Levi couldn’t blame him though, because even now as he ran his hands over Eren’s back, deeply kissing him, he felt anything but confident.


End file.
